The Spy Who Loved Me
by addicted2twylyte
Summary: Bella Pattinson suddenly begins to display exceptional martial arts and combat skills, yet she has no memory of being trained. Did she have another life before she met Rob? Why doesn't she remember, and why is she starting to remember now?
1. Chapter 1 Intrigue

**Author's Notes:**

Thank you to my awesome beta, Cullen818, who writes tremendous Team Jasper stories. Check her out. She has a HUGE following!

Thank you to my bionic beta validator on Twilighted, Angelicwish. Her writing style is so poetic and beautiful that you must check her out too!

Here is what I believe to be a FF first: I am thanking my MOTHER for telling me about the theory that Leslie Howard was an allied spy during WW II and for coming up with the movie title, 'Intrigue.' Thanks, Mom!

This is the fourth story in a series about Bella Jordan Pattinson and Rob Pattinson. Edward and the Cullens play a major role in my third book, "The Vibration of Love," and the Cullens, including Edward, are in this book too. I encourage you to read the other stories first, especially, "The Vibration of Love," since it is great (or so the reviewers told me [smile]), and because you'll be lost by Chapter 17 in this book if you don't read it first.

In this story, Rob refers to Taylor Lautner's martial arts skills. Before Taylor was an actor, he was a four-time world martial arts champion. If you didn't catch him hosting Saturday Night Live, you can watch it on hulu. He does an amazing martial arts bit. (And if you don't know who Taylor is, you are on the wrong web site. LOL!)

Each chapter has pictures that go with it. Visit my website and click on the link for "The Spy Who Loved Me Images and Chapter Links."

Lastly, not only am I Addicted2Twylyte, I'm also Addicted2Reviews! So PLEASE review! I LOVE hearing from you. It's the only "payment" we FF authors receive. Thank you for reading and reviewing. ENJOY!

****** CHAPTER ONE: INTRIGUE ******

**BPOV**

My phone vibrated. I glanced at it and saw the gorgeous face of my husband on the screen.

"Hi Babe," I said.

"Hi. I miss you," Rob replied.

"I miss you too. How did Letterman go?" I asked.

"Same as always. He's still going strong because he keeps them rolling in the aisles. I jammed with the band, which was pretty fun."

"You're kidding? The audience must have loved that!"

"They did. So did Letterman."

"So tomorrow you get to bond with Matt Lauer again and then you'll be on your way back to us?"

"Yes, and I cannot wait. How are the kids?"

"I just got Stephenie and David fed and tucked in. Jordan has been a dream, and Kate has been a bear ever since you left. "

"She's still acting out?"

"She's been unreal. If they do a remake of the exorcist, I think we should let her audition for the Linda Blair part. The minute your car left for the airport, she fell on the floor and started screaming, and my father is the only one who can get her to stop. She's staying overnight at my parent's house tonight."

"I'm sorry she's giving you such a hard time. I hope this is just a phase."

"I hope so too. I want to start working again, and no babysitter is going to want to take care of the Exorcist child!"

"I didn't know you wanted to start working again. What brought this about?"

"I talked to Hannah's Mom. They need a million dollars to fund a clinical trial. There's a cure available, and UNC Chapel Hill can produce a virus to counteract the affects of the disease, but it's expensive. I'd like to produce an album and get several of our artists to donate a song."

There was only silence on the other end of the phone.

"Rob? Are you still there?"

"Yes," he replied, somewhat coldly.

"What's wrong?"

"It sounds like you've decided all of this without even discussing it with me."

"I haven't decided anything," I said, feeling my temper starting to rear its ugly head. "I said I would _like_ to produce an album. I realize that trying to arrange for child care for four children will be like a military operation, but for such a worthwhile cause, I'd like to see if it is possible."

I was met with more silence.

"What _is _wrong?" I asked, rather tersely.

"You told me after the twins were born that you were relieved I was taking time off because you didn't want to leave them with nannies. Now, what I'm hearing is that our kids are going to be left with nannies."

"That's not what I said," I yelled.

"Then who are you going to leave them with?"

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Rob, you are 2500 miles away. I think we should table this discussion until you get home."

"Fine," he snapped. "Good-bye."

The line went dead.

I stared at the phone. In all the years we had been together, I could not recall a time that he had hung up on me like that. This was so out of character for him. _Why was he acting like this? _I wondered.

As I replayed our conversation in my head, I absentmindedly starting picking up the toys, clothes, pacifiers and other various remnants that four children leave in their wake. I was about to drop an armload onto the coffee table when I noticed a script I hadn't seen before. The title read, "_Intrigue: The Leslie Howard Story_." _That looks interesting_, I thought. I dropped my "mother load" onto the sofa, picked up the script, and crawled into bed.

I knew that Leslie Howard was the British actor who had portrayed Ashley Wilkes in _Gone With the Wind_. _Intrigue's_ plot was based on the rumor that Howard was an allied spy during World War II. Some historians theorize that the Luftwaffe shot down his civilian plane when he was returning from Spain on a secret mission ordered by Churchill to prevent Spain from entering the war against the allies.

Two hours after I picked up the script, tears were pouring down my cheeks as I read the final page.

_An English soldier bursts into Churchill's war room. _

"_Sir, the German's Enigma code has been broken. The Luftwaffe plans to shoot down Howard's plane."_

_Churchill nods._

"_Sir, do you want the flight intercepted."_

_There is a long pause. Churchill shakes his head. The soldier is stunned and quietly says, "Yes Sir, and turns to leave the room."_

_The camera zooms in on Churchill's aide, Duncan Sandys._

"_You don't want the Germans to know we've broken the code."_

_Churchill nods and then stares out the window at a plane passing overhead. The camera follows the plane until the scene gradually changes to the wreckage of the downed DC-3. It is obvious that no one could have survived the crash. _

_Fade to black._

I dropped the script and ran to the bathroom to grab the much needed tissue box and then ran back to the bed and grabbed my phone. I knew Rob would be asleep, but I had to talk to him.

"Bella?" He said groggily. "What's wrong?"

"Is this script why we were fighting?" I asked.

"What script? What are you talking about? It's 4:00 AM here."

"I'm sorry I woke you, but you've never hung up on me before, and I want to know if your anger has something to do with the _Intrigue_ script?"

There was only silence. I waited.

"Why do you think that?" He asked.

"I just read it. It's brilliant. Whoever plays this part is guaranteed an Academy Award nomination. Howard was a famous, sexy and talented British actor. You were born to play this part."

"And…?" He asked.

"And it will be filmed entirely on location in the U.K. and Spain. So you would be gone for months."

"Which is why I already told Claire to forget it."

"You what?" I yelled into the phone.

"Bella, I am not going to be away from you and our kids for three months!"

"So you were pissed off earlier because you thought I was going to sacrifice our family for my career when you just sacrificed your career for our family?"

Once again, the line was silent. I waited.

"I thought so," I said.

"I'm sorry. I was an asshole earlier. I was totally out of line. And you're right. I didn't even put it together, but that is why I was pissed."

"And part of the reason you were angry with me is you thought I made a decision without discussing it with you, right?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"Yet you decided to forego the best movie to ever cross your path, a movie that would guarantee you an Academy Award nomination and allow you to pick and choose your roles for the rest of your career, and you never discussed it with me?"

"There wasn't anything to discuss! I will not leave you for that long!"

"When did you start thinking in black and white? All of your movies are in full Technicolor! We have our own jet. Your family owns a house in London. You have tremendous clout; I'm sure you could negotiate that they film part of the movie in L.A. And those are just the ideas off the top of my head. We haven't even run this by Randy and Steve! They would surely come up with all kinds of schemes to make this work!"

I heard him laugh for the first time that night.

"And, there are a few advantages to a long distance relationship," I said coyly.

"Oh really?" He asked. "Like what?"

"Like phone sex," I purred.

"Phone make-up sex sounds like a good idea. What are you wearing right now?" He asked.

"I'm wearing the T-shirt you slept in the night before you left."

"Really?" He asked.

"Really," I replied. "I always do that when you're gone. I like having your scent next to my skin."

"Are you wearing anything else?" He asked.

"Nothing," I replied. "You didn't unpack your suitcase, did you?" I asked, smiling.

"No, I never do. I just grab what I need when I need it. Why?"

"Go look for a plastic bag in the bottom right corner of your suitcase," I told him.

"OK, I'm looking."

I smiled. When I heard Rob was going on this trip, I decided to make it interesting for him. I set up our camera on a tri-pod and posed with the present he had given me before he left on a previous trip. The picture captured me in the throws of ecstasy, thoroughly enjoying the giant penis shaped vibrator buried deep within my core. My head was thrown back, and my lips were parted. One hand was on my clit, while the other was obviously working the vibrator.

As an added bonus, I included a pair of my lace panties that I wore just before the last time we made love.

"Oh my God, Bella! This is the sexiest fucking thing I've ever seen!"

I laughed. "I'm glad you approve, baby."

"Approve? God, I'm going to need a skin graft after this. I'll rub my hand raw!"

"Is that what you're doing now?" I asked.

"Yes! God, and your panties, they still smell like you. It's too much!" I heard him moan. "I want to hear you come," he gasped. "I want to hear you when you fuck yourself with that toy I gave you."

I grabbed the vibrator from my bedside table and turned it on. I put my phone on speaker and then slid the vibrator inside me.

"Oh God!" I moaned.

"Tell me how it feels," he demanded.

"It's so intense. I can come over and over."

"Shut your eyes," he said.

I did as he asked.

"Now picture my cock buried deep inside you."

I whimpered in response.

"I'm slowly pulling my cock out of you now and teasing your clit with my head. Do what I tell you to do, baby."

I moaned in reply.

"Tell me when you're going to come, baby."

"I'm almost there," I gasped.

"Picture me driving my cock back inside of you. Do it, Bella."

I buried the vibrator inside my core and screamed as I exploded. I heard Rob moaning and gasping on the other end of the phone.

We listened to each other's raspy breathing until Rob finally said, "This is the part that just doesn't work over the phone. I can't fall asleep now with my arms wrapped around you and your head on my chest."

"I know. I miss you too. Tomorrow night, I'll be in your arms."

"I am counting the seconds. I love you. Sweet dreams."

"I love you back. See you in a few hours. Bye."

I rolled over, grabbed Rob's pillow, and breathed in his scent. I missed him so much in this moment that it physically hurt. I started to think maybe he was right. Maybe he really shouldn't do the movie. _No! Snap out of it!_ I told myself. _You can make this work_. I fell asleep planning the military operation that it would take to make sure my husband starred in the best movie to come along in years and that our family stayed together.

The next morning, I was awakened when my phone buzzed, alerting me that I had a new message. I opened the email to see a note from Rob, which read, "Thinking of you…." There was an attached photo. When I opened it, I burst out laughing. There was a close-up of Rob's very hard cock; the picture was blurred because he took it while his hand was obviously flying up and down its length. _Touché_, I thought.

While the kids and I were eating breakfast, security called to say a delivery was on its way. I went to the door and saw a florist's van pull up. The driver emerged along with four teddy bears. I opened the door, and thanked him and was about to close it when he said, 'There's more, ma'am – a lot more."

I handed the kids their bears, and they squealed and laughed.

"Who are they from, Mommy?" Kate asked.

"I bet they are from Daddy. We'll read your cards in a minute. The delivery man said there was something else."

When I re-opened the door, I was met with a sea of flowers.

"Are you having a party, ma'am?" The driver asked.

I laughed. "Apparently I am later tonight!"

He looked confused, but didn't say anything.

I carried vase after vase into the kitchen, and the kids squealed and laughed again.

"Mommy, it's raining flowers!" Kate laughed. "Who are they from?"

"Well, let's see," I said, as I opened the card.

_I asked them to send every type of flower in the store, knowing that even the most beautiful of all nor all of them combined could come close to your beauty. I'm sorry about last night. My soul is yours forever. Until later…_

"Mommy! What's wrong? You're crying!" Kate asked.

"Sweetie, these are happy tears. Daddy sent me a very beautiful card. Let's see what your cards say."

On each of their cards was typed, "_I love you beary much. I'll see you later today. Love, Daddy."_

"Mommy, I want to go to the airport to pick up Daddy," Kate said.

"I want to go too!" Jordan yelled.

"No, Jordan! You can't go! He's _my _Daddy!" Kate snapped and then hit him on the arm.

Jordan started to scream, which made the twins start to cry.

"Catherine Jordan Pattinson, you go to your room this very instant, and don't come down until I tell you that you may."

"No! I won't!" She screamed, fell on the floor, and did her best Linda Blair imitation.

By some act of divine providence, my parents picked that moment to walk through the door.

Mom surveyed the room with a knowing smile.

"Thank God," I said. "Your timing is impeccable. Miss Catherine needs a time out."

I picked up Kate, and she screamed louder, thrashed and finally bit me – hard.

I cried out in pain as I put her down and ran to the sink to wash where her teeth had broken the skin on my arm.

"Mom! She bit me!" I was crying now, more from frustration than pain.

The cacophony of screaming and crying reached a fevered pitch as I washed the cut on my arm. Then suddenly, it was quiet again, except for my father's soft humming. He was sitting on the floor with Kate in his lap; her head was resting on his chest, and she was asleep. Mom had herded the twins and Jordan into the den, and they were entranced by Sesame Street.

I sat down next to Dad with tears still streaming down my face.

"Dad, I don't know what to do with her. She's been completely out of control since Rob left. I can't imagine what I would have done if you hadn't been here to calm her down."

"Honey, she's got Separation Anxiety Disorder," Dad said.

"What?" I asked him.

"And apparently it is inherited. Sweetheart, you acted _exactly_ the same way when you were her age. I couldn't leave the room without you throwing a tantrum."

I stared at him dumbfounded. My parents told me how difficult I had been and how attached to my father I was, but I assumed the stories had been exaggerated over the years.

"Bella, that's why I stopped touring and started producing full time. We didn't know what else to do."

The tears that had been trickling down my cheeks now turned to a waterfall.

"Dad, no! You gave up touring for me?"

"Honey, I didn't mean it like that. I would have given my right arm to find a way to make you happy." He smiled at me. "From the moment I knew that Kelly was pregnant with you, you've been the center of my world."

I threw my arms around his neck. "Dad, I can't bear to think that you gave up touring because I was such a monster."

"Bella, I gave up living out of a suitcase and riding around on a smoke filled tour bus that smelled like stale beer and cigarettes. What I got in return was the love of my little girl who wanted me to teach her everything I knew about music, and has turned into an incredible musician, producer, business partner, wife and mother."

"I love you, Dad," I sniffed.

"And I love you, little girl."

"I imagine if you bring Kate to a doctor, they have some sort of medication that will help keep her calm. Or you can chain your husband's feet to the floor."

I smiled. "Rob in chains _is_ an appealing visual," I laughed.

Dad shook his head and chuckled.

"But," I continued, "a more practical solution would be to figure out how our family can travel with him. We were just discussing this last night. He was going to pass on an incredible opportunity because he will have to be on location in Europe for three months, but I'm determined to make this work."

"Bella, if anyone can figure it out, you can."

"He'll be shooting in England and Spain. You and Mom have the cottage in London. What would you think about spending some time in the country of your birth?"

"You know I'd love it. You'll have to talk your Mom into being away from sunny California for three months."

"I think she'll go along with it if it's the only way she gets to see her grandkids. Obviously, Rob's parents won't have an issue coming with us. They fly back all the time anyway."

Just then, Kate woke up and looked at me with a sad expression. She crawled into my lap.

"I'm sorry I bit you Mommy. Please don't leave me too."

"Kate," I said, looking into her expressive eyes, "I will _never_ leave you. I will always love you with all my heart. That doesn't mean that I always love your behavior, but I will always love you."

"Mommy, how can you love me with all your heart and love Jordan and Stephenie and David and Daddy and Grandpa and Grandma?"

"Because love is unending, Kate. It's like the waves hitting the beach. They never stop, do they?"

She shook her head.

"That's how my love for you and everyone in our family is. My heart is filled with a never ending supply of love for all of you."

"Is Daddy's heart that way too?"

"Yes, sweetheart. That's just how love works. So you don't have to worry about how much Daddy loves you compared to your brothers and sister. We love all of you with our whole hearts."

"I love you with my whole heart too, Mommy; and I love Daddy and Grandpa, too," she said smiling at Dad. "So can we go pick up Daddy at the airport now?"

"He hasn't landed yet, sweetie, but we can later, OK?"

"OK, Mommy."

The rest of the morning went as smoothly as it can when four children under the age of five are involved. Naptime coincided with Rob's touch down time so Mom and Dad stayed with the twins and Jordan while Kate and I went to pick up Rob.

We parked next to the private jet terminal and watched Air Jordan touch down.

"Mommy, where is he? What is taking so long?"

"The plane has to park, sweetie. Watch that door over there. He'll walk through it in a few more minutes."

Unfortunately, the private jet terminal was still open to the public, so the paparazzi hung around hoping to catch someone coming or going. Kate's excitement was drawing their attention. I understood that the press attention came with Rob's job, but when it came to our kids, we drew the line. I decided to try to negotiate with them. I walked up to the group, and was met with surprise that I was acknowledging their existence.

"Hi guys. I understand that you have a job to do, so I'll cut you a deal. Rob will be walking through that door any minute. He and I will be glad to pose for you so you can get a couple of great shots, but in exchange, no shots of Kate. Otherwise, we'll do the whole 'cover our heads so you can't get a decent shot' routine."

They nodded. I smiled and thanked them.

A few minutes later, Rob walked in, and Kate squealed with delight. Everyone in the terminal, including the paparazzi laughed as she ran toward him. He swept her into the air and spun her around as she continued to laugh.

"Daddy! Don't ever go away again! I was so sad! I cried every day, and Mommy said I drove her crazy!"

I heard more chuckles around us.

I walked over, and Rob put his other arm around me and pulled me into a kiss.

"I can share you Daddy. Mommy told me that your heart has lots and lots of love so there's enough for all of us."

He laughed. "She is so right, sweetheart!" He leaned over and whispered in my ear. "How is it that there are no flashes going off in our faces?"

"I negotiated a deal," I said, smiling.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Kate, I need you to sit in this chair like a big girl for just one minute. Daddy and I have to get our picture taken."

"Again?" She said. "How many pictures of you do they need, Daddy?"

"I know sweetheart. I can't imagine why they want more, but they do," he said laughing.

"OK, I can be good but just for one minute," she said.

Rob and I stood between Kate and the cameras to be sure she was excluded. We posed dutifully, but one of the photographers worked his way behind us and snapped Kate's picture.

I gave Rob a knowing look and said, "Honey, you pick up Kate. Let me have your carry on. As he handed it to me, I said,

"Kate, I bet Daddy has a present in here for you."

As she squealed with delight, I made a playful show of swinging Rob's bag around and managed to "accidentally" knock the camera from the hands of the photographer who had taken Kate's picture.

As he bent over to pick it up, I saw his wallet sticking out of his back pocket. I ran over to "apologize," quickly lifted his wallet and slipped it into my coat pocket.

He glared as he picked up the camera pieces strewn across the floor. "It doesn't matter," he said. "The memory card is still intact."

I picked up a half full coffee cup someone had left on a nearby table and said, "Oh I'm so relieved to hear that," as I poured the coffee all over the memory card that was lying near my feet.

"You cunt!" He screamed.

I saw Rob set down Kate and walk toward us.

I put up my hand to stop him. "Honey, I've got this. The last thing we need is a picture of you decking this asshole on the front page of every grocery store rag sheet."

I pulled the photographer's wallet from my coat pocket and saw his eyes bulge.

"Where did you get that?"

"You apparently dropped it along with your camera," I said. "I just need to verify that it's yours." I opened it and pulled out his driver's license. "So let's see, are you really Mr. Joseph Phillips of 323 Madison Court?"

He glared at me.

"I guess this looks like you," I said, pretending to study his driver's license picture. I walked up to him and whispered in his ear, "If you _ever_ go near one of my kids again, a couple of the former Navy SEALs who work for me will be visiting 323 Madison Court." I dropped his wallet into the puddle of spilled coffee and walked over to Rob.

He picked up Kate, and we headed outside to the car.

Rob was staring at me like I had two heads, but I knew he didn't want to say anything in front of Kate.

All of the drama had escaped Kate, and she was still concerned with whether or not Rob had a present for her.

"Daddy, is there a present for me in your bag?"

He smiled at her. "What makes you think I brought you a present?" He asked.

She rolled her eyes. "Because you always do when you go on a trip," she giggled.

Rob was promoting the new Disney movie, _Rapunzel_ for which he voiced the hero. When we got to the car, he buckled Kate into her car seat and said, "Shut your eyes."

She dutifully did as she was told.

He opened his carry on and pulled out an exquisitely wrapped box and placed it in her hands. She opened her eyes, and they lit up as she tore open the paper.

"Oh Daddy! It's Rapunzel! She's beautiful!"

"Kate, no one else in the world has a doll exactly like yours. They made that one just for you."

"I love it Daddy! Thank you!"

Since Kate's attention was completely captivated with her new doll, Rob pulled me toward the back of the car where we were out of her line of sight.

"Bella, what was that back there?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You usually ignore the obnoxious press. But you were like Ninja Mom back there. How did you know how to lift his wallet?"

"I don't know. It was just right there in front of me when he bent over. I didn't think about it."

"What did you say to him?"

"I told him that some of our former Navy SEALs would be paying him a visit if he ever went near our kids again."

"Bella, I don't …"

He suddenly stopped talking, as a look of alarm crossed his face. I followed his gaze and turned to see the photographer standing a foot behind me holding a knife.

"Now you're going to give me _your _wallet," he growled.

"Fine," Rob said. "You can have whatever you want." He started to reach for his wallet.

"Honey, don't be ridiculous," I said as I spun around and kicked the knife from the photographer's hand, caught it in mid-air, and held it to his throat.


	2. Chapter 2 The Cutting Edge

**BPOV**

"You know, _Joseph,_" I growled, "you are really starting to get on my last nerve. Do you know what I did to the last photographer who got on my nerves?" I asked, as I nicked the skin next to his jugular vein.

Joseph shook his head.

"I nailed his balls to the floor, set his house on fire, and gave him a rusty razor blade."

Joseph's eyes bugged out.

"Do we have an understanding, _Mr. Phillips of 323 Madison Court_ that neither I nor anyone in my family will ever see you again?" I growled, nicking his skin again.

He nodded vigorously.

"Now turn around and _run_."

He sprinted away.

I laughed and with a quick flip of my wrist, sent the knife flying into a garbage can that was twenty feet away.

Rob grabbed my shoulders. "Are you out of your mind? You were risking our lives over a wallet? And how the hell did you know how to do that?"

"Do what?" I asked.

"Do what?! You disarmed him, caught the knife in mid-air, and just now you threw it into that garbage can like a circus performer. Tim never taught us anything like that!"

I thought about it. "I honestly don't know how I knew what to do. I just did it without thinking."

"God, Bella! You're right about that. You weren't thinking. Kate is right behind us!"

I looked at Kate. Luckily, she was still enthralled with her new doll and hadn't noticed any of this. Suddenly what I had just done did seem crazy. I fell against Rob, and he wrapped his arms around me.

"You're right. I don't know what came over me. It's almost like someone or something else took control. I'm so sorry," I said.

"It's OK. It all worked out. Just, please don't take that kind of risk again," he said kissing my forehead.

"I won't. Let's go home."

After we arrived at the house, Kate shadowed Rob for the rest of the day. She tolerated him holding the other kids and playing with them, but as soon as his lap was empty, she climbed into it.

That night, she insisted that he stay with her while she fell asleep. Once she was sound asleep, he came into our room and collapsed onto the bed.

"How did you survive this week?" He asked. "I'm exhausted after a few hours. What is going on with Kate? She clung to me like superglue!"

"It was a very rough week." I told him what my father had told me about separation anxiety disorder and how I behaved as a child.

"So I was right when I told Clare to pass on the _Intrigue_ script. Obviously I can't be away for that long while she's behaving like this."

I smiled and crawled onto the bed next to him. As I started unbuttoning his shirt, I said, "No, you were _not_ right. It's not like this movie is shooting in the jungle. You'll be in London! Both your parent's and mine have a house there. It's time we buy a house there too."

As I kissed my way down his chest he said, "Why is it that you come up with all the good ideas?"

I smiled and kissed him. "Well, somebody around here has to. After all, I only married you for your looks, not your brains."

"What?!" He yelled.

As I burst out laughing, he rolled on top of me, and said, "Now you're going to pay for that remark."

"Mmm, I hope so," I purred in reply.

He quickly rid me of my clothes and then knelt by my feet. He pressed one foot against his chest and began swirling his tongue along my anklebone and running his fingers slowly up the inside of my leg.

I groaned and moved my other foot on top of his groin and began to massage it with my foot.

I was rewarded with a deep moan.

"Bella, put your hands on your breasts."

I did as he asked and circled my fingertips around my nipples.

His eyes were riveted to my chest, and he moaned again as he slid his fingers further up the inside of my thigh. He released my ankle, and I watched as his mouth moved slowly up one leg and then the other.

He kissed and licked the inside of my thighs while barely tracing his fingers along my dripping folds.

"You are being cruel and unusual in your torture," I groaned.

"I know, baby," he said with a smile.

"I didn't mean it," I gasped. "You're not only the sexiest man alive, you're the most brilliant."

"Ah, now that's better," he said just before his tongue found my clit.

"Oh God, your tongue is by far the most talented one of any man on the planet."

He plunged his fingers inside of me to let me know he appreciated my compliment.

I arched into his mouth and turned my head toward the pillow so my scream wouldn't wake the kids. As soon as I relaxed, he was buried deep inside me.

I grabbed his neck and kissed him with all the pent up longing that had consumed me while he was away.

"You are sexy and brilliant, and when it comes to making love, you are a fucking genius," I said into our kiss.

He buried his mouth in my neck. "I love you, Bella. I missed you, God, so much!" He leaned back and our eyes locked. "You are so beautiful."

I felt the tension start to build again, and my muscles tightened around him. I pressed my mouth against his chest as a moan erupted from me, and he likewise stifled his scream as he buried his mouth in my hair.

As our breathing started to subside, I heard a small whimper. Rob heard it at the same time, and we both whipped our heads toward our bedroom door.

Kate was standing there with tears streaming down her face.

Rob rolled away from me, wrapping the sheet around his waist as he went.

I jumped out of bed, grabbed Rob's shirt from the floor and slipped into it as I ran to Kate. I knelt in front of her. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"Why was Daddy hurting you?" She wailed as she threw her arms around me.

I sent a silent prayer to the gods in charge of parenting asking for an emergency intervention and an immediate download of wisdom.

"Kate, Daddy wasn't hurting me."

"But you were crying," she said. She leaned away from my shoulder and looked at me with her inquisitive eyes.

"Sweetie, do you remember this morning when I read the beautiful card from Daddy, and it made me cry?"

She nodded.

"You were worried then too because you thought I was sad."

"But they were happy tears," she sniffed and smiled slightly.

"That's right. Daddy and I were …" I searched for the words. The gods apparently hadn't heard my plea for help. I decided honesty was probably the best policy. "Honey, we were making love. It's something married couples do to show each other how much they love each other. We hold each other very close, and it feels really good." I expected at least a hundred more questions from her, but she just said,

"Oh, OK," and then rubbed her eyes and yawned. She walked over to our bed, where Rob was still sitting with the sheet wrapped around him, climbed in, pulled the blanket over her and said, "Goodnight Daddy. I love you."

"I love you too, sweetheart," he said.

Rob and I looked at each other, shook our heads, and silently laughed.

************************

Rob's parents and my parents agreed that they would stay in England and help with the kids while Rob filmed in Europe. The studio was thrilled that Rob had changed his mind and immediately signed him to play the lead in _Intrigue._ Both our mothers were helping us look for a house. This morning, they were visiting, and we were scrolling through pictures that realtors had emailed.

"These are all ridiculous," I said. "For some reason, they seem to think we want to buy a castle. We have four little kids. We need a practical house with a yard and a fence to keep out photographers. We don't need a castle to keep out invading Vikings!"

"Honey, your first mistake was letting the studio put you in touch with realtors. You should have come to me," Mom said.

"Or me," Rob's mom said.

"I didn't want to bother you two. You both do so much for us already," I replied.

"It's no bother," Mom said.

"Not at all," Rob's mom agreed.

They both picked up their cell phones.

_Uh oh,_ I thought. _This could be trouble._

The following day, emails from each of the realtors our mothers had contacted started to appear. All of the houses my mother's realtor found were within five minutes of my parent's house, and the same was true of those that Rob's mom's realtor found.

I decided to reply to both realtors and ask them to work together to find a house that was mid-way between our parents' houses.

The next day, an email with pictures of three houses arrived. As I scanned the images and house descriptions, I thought of _Goldilocks._ One house was too big, one was too small, but one was, _just right._ I laughed with delight and asked the realtors to send me a detailed video of the house.

I showed the video to Rob, really as a matter of courtesy because I knew he didn't care where we lived. His only requirements were that it have room for the kids, a bed and me, and if the last two items on that list came as a package deal, he was definitely content.

Before the ink was dry on the contract, my mother and Ben took off to get the house ready. Mom was thrilled to have a decorating project, and I asked Ben to be our 'advance team,' and get the house and surrounding perimeter's security established.

We decided to ask the Cielo staff if anyone wanted to go with us and work in London during our stay. So many staff members wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to visit a new country that we made the 'duty tours' available as one month stays.

Everything was falling into place. The studio had even agreed to begin rehearsals and pre-production in L.A. to allow us more time to find a house and get it ready.

As part of Rob's training for the role, he had to learn to fence. Leslie Howard had played Romeo in _Romeo and Juliet_, and the studio decided to include a clip within _Intrigue_. The whole tie in between Leslie, Romeo, Edward and Rob was too good a publicity stunt to pass up.

His training was scheduled to begin this morning. We were both surprised when a hard-bodied, exceptionally perfect looking woman named Jade appeared at our door with a large equipment bag. She introduced herself and suggested that they begin on the beach.

Our house was on a hill overlooking the ocean. Stephenie and David were napping, and Kate was with my Dad at the studio, so I brought Jordan outside so he could watch his Daddy play with swords. Jordan squealed with delight. He was only three, but he was already such a boy! Anything to do with fighting or weapons was the epitome of fun.

Shortly after Rob and Jade began, I heard footsteps on the deck and saw Kristen approach.

"Aunt Kwis!" Jordan squealed, reaching for her.

She laughed and took him from my arms. "Well hello, little man. You've grown since I saw you a few days ago!"

Jordan pointed to the beach. "Daddy is fighting!"

Kristen looked momentarily alarmed until she saw Rob and Jade.

"Oh, Daddy is learning how to play with swords?" She asked.

"Yes!" Jordan yelled. He squirmed out of her arms, picked up a stick that had blown onto the deck and started to imitate Rob.

Kristen and I both laughed watching his antics.

When I turned back to watch Rob, I immediately stopped laughing. Jade was, in theory, showing him how to hold the sword over his head, but she was running one hand down his chest and the other down his back.

"Why are that woman's hands on my husband's body?" I snapped.

Kristen came over and stood next to me. She followed my gaze. "That's a hell of a good question."

I couldn't hear their conversation, but I knew from watching, literally thousands of women throw themselves at my husband, that she was interested in far more than swordplay. When her hand lingered on his biceps, I said,

"Kris, do you mind watching Jordan for me?"

"Not at all," she replied. "You definitely need to go kick her ass."

I smiled. "That's not exactly what I had in mind."

She raised an eyebrow in question.

"You'll see," I laughed.

I went inside and changed into the skimpiest bikini I owned. I normally only wore this suit when Rob and I were going to be alone on the beach. It would certainly result in an indecent exposure violation on a public beach.

As I walked back through the kitchen, I grabbed a couple of water bottles and then headed toward the staircase that lead to the ocean.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I leaned against the railing and sipped from my water bottle. I was just outside Rob's line of site, but knew it was only a matter of time before he turned my way. When he did, my attire had exactly the effect I intended. He stopped dead in his tracks and held up his hand. I heard him say, "Time for a break." He dropped his sword in the sand and walked toward me.

His skin was glistening from his workout; the sun glinted off of his hair as he ran his hand through it. I momentarily forgot why I had come down here. He raised an eyebrow and slowly ran his eyes from the skimpy top of my suit to the tiny stringed bottom.

"That's quite an outfit," he said.

"That was quite an eye fuck," I replied.

He laughed and kissed me as he pulled my hips against his.

"Why are you torturing me by wearing that bikini?" He whispered into my ear and then continued to run his lips along my neck.

"Because I wanted to make sure that your far too friendly _instructor_ realized you are a _very_ happily married man," I said as I ran my hand along his now bulging crotch.

"I think I like it when you're jealous," he said into a kiss. "Where are the kids?"

"Hmm, now why do you ask that, I wonder?" I smiled. "Could it be that you're hoping we have time for an extended break from your training?"

"Apparently you retained that mind reading ability you had in the Cullen's world," he chuckled.

"The kids are great." I took his hand. "Let's go take that break."

He smiled and called over his shoulder, "Jade, take a break."

I glanced back to see her shoot a scowl in our direction as she bent to pick up Rob's sword.

We walked hand-in-hand a few yards down the beach to the staircase that lead to the deck off of our room. Once we were inside, I turned my back toward him and lifted my hair. "Do you mind?" I asked.

"Not at all," he said as he untied my top while his lips grazed my neck. He ran his hands along my breasts and down my abdomen before slipping his hands inside my bottoms and pushing them to the floor.

As I stepped out of them, I turned to face him. "Your turn," I said as I pulled off his workout clothes.

He gently pushed me onto the bed and then began making love to my breasts.

"God, I was instantly hard when I saw you. That bikini leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination, and your breasts are so fucking perfect."

"I know something that will make you love these breasts even more."

He met my eyes as his tongue swirled my nipple.

"Come here," I said pulling his head toward my mouth. "Straddle my chest."

He raised an eyebrow and smiled.

I guided his cock so it slipped into the valley of my breasts.

"Oh my God," he moaned as I squeezed my breasts together.

"Baby, come closer," I said, and reached down to guide his head into my mouth.

"Fuck, Bella! This is incredible!"

As I watched his perfect body thrusting above me, I smiled at how much pleasure this gave him.

"I need to stop, baby, this feels too good."

I shook my head no. "Keep going," I said. "I want to make you come."

He thrust into me a few more times, and then threw his head back and moaned as he poured into my mouth.

He collapsed next to me and wrapped me in his arms.

"Where the fuck did you come up with that? That was amazing?"

"I read about it in one of those FanFiction stories about you. Some of those authors get _quite _creative."

"You read those?" He asked with a laugh.

"Oh yeah! All the time! They're great for inspiring ways to keep our sex life interesting. You know, I read that women who read steamy romances like those that are written about you have much better sex lives?"

"Well, by all means, keep reading!" He laughed. "Doesn't it bother you to read stories about me having wild sex with someone other than you?"

"Not at all! That's where I get my best ideas! Besides, it's not as if they are actually writing about _you._ It's someone's fantasy about you."

"Ugh, I know. Those stories usually turn me into some idealized god-like person."

"Well, they definitely have the god-like part correct," I said running my finger along his perfect chest.

He rolled his eyes.

"The other way those stories _always_ depict you is having vampire stamina," I told him.

"Oh really?" He asked, now obviously very interested in how his adoring fans characterized his sexual prowess.

"Yes! I just read this _very hot_ story about how you fell for your 40-something interpreter. The author tortured us by making us wait for _fourteen_ chapters before you finally did it, but when you did finally spend the weekend with her, it was non-stop all weekend. I was exhausted just from reading it!"

"OK, I'm obviously falling way behind on my reading. You'll have to send me that link so I can get ideas too!" He laughed.

He started planting kisses on my body, working his way lower with each one.

"What are you doing?" I asked through a sigh.

"It's your turn, now," he said between kisses.

I pulled his face back toward mine and kissed him. "My turn will have to wait until tonight. Kristen is watching our junior sword fighter and Stephenie and David will be awake any minute. Anyway, I accomplished my objective."

"Which was?" He asked.

"To let Jade know that there's no chance that her flirting is going to result in anything more than sword play."

He leaned away from me and looked serious. "You didn't actually think that there was any chance I would pay attention to her bullshit did you?"

"No, but it's always good to make sure that you know that it doesn't get any better than right here," I replied.

"Bella, I am so glad you got jealous and seduced me because that was incredible. But you're implying that I can't be trusted."

I started to say, "I am not," but stopped as soon as the word, "I," came out of my mouth.

"I … I'm sorry," I said. "You're right. I do trust you _completely._ I just went temporarily insane seeing that woman's hands on you. It brought up all of my insecurities. I'm used to women leering at you, making lewd comments and eye fucking you, even when I'm standing right there, but she was crossing the line. And it's not like she's an actress pretending to be someone else."

"I'm sorry too," he said. "I should have stopped her and told her to back off, but I've gotten to where I completely tune out the inappropriate behavior. It's the only way I can stay sane. Hopefully your appearance gave her the message, but if not, I'll talk to her or tell the studio to send over another instructor."

"Thank you for understanding. It's not easy being married to the Sexiest Man Alive."

"Oh please!" He rolled his eyes.

I heard Stephenie and David start to jabber with each other over the baby monitor. We listened to them as we got dressed.

"I've read that twins sometimes develop their own language. I wonder if that's what they are doing. Sometimes when I'm with Kate or Jordan and can't immediately get to them, they will just happily keep up this banter. They seem so content with each others company."

We walked into their room, and they were sitting up in their crib and appeared to be having a very serious, in depth conversation. They still shared a crib because when we tried to separate them, they just cried until we put them back together.

Rob helped me get them changed, and we walked down to the kitchen. After we strapped them into their highchairs, I asked Rob to have Kristen bring Jordan inside. He kissed the kids and me, and headed outside. A few minutes later, Kristen appeared with Jordan.

"Your 'fight fire with a string bikini' plan was much better than my 'kick her ass' plan," Kristen laughed.

"Yes, I have to admit, it worked rather well," I said joining in with her laughter.

Kris hung out and helped me feed the kids, then we all headed down to the beach since Jordan was dying to watch Rob play with swords.

Watching Jordan imitate Rob was infinitely entertaining. His little face took on a stoic expression as he attempted to follow Rob's every move.

Kristen and I tried not to laugh since he was clearly taking his "training" very seriously.

When Rob and Jade took a break, Rob came over and "dueled" with Jordan.

I casually wandered over and looked at the equipment Jade had brought. In addition to the fencing rapiers, there were heavier swords. I picked up one and noticed that it felt strangely familiar in my hand. A moment later, I was astounded when, without thinking, I rolled it around my palm like Obi Wan wielding a light saber.

Jade walked over to me. "That sword is for Katana, a Chinese martial art. Who taught you how to handle it?" She asked.

"No one," I replied, as I spun the sword again.

She laughed, assuming I was being facetious. She picked up another heavy sword and parried.

I automatically evaded her thrust and spun into a defensive stance. As I sensed that she was about to lunge, I tossed my sword over her head, dropped onto one hand and vaulted to the side opposite her sword hand; I instantly righted myself and caught the sword midair. Before she knew what had happened, my blade was pointed at the back of her neck.

She dropped her sword, turned and bowed, then looked at Rob.

"You didn't tell me your wife had studied Katana," she said.

"No, I didn't," he replied. "Bella, may I speak with you?"

I nodded, in a daze.

"Kris, do you mind watching the kids for a minute?" He asked her.

She shook her head, and I caught the confused and dumbfounded expression she sent my way.

I dropped the sword as Rob walked toward me and took my hand.

"Let's go for a walk," he said.

When we were out of earshot, he stopped and faced me.

"What was that?" He asked, incredulously.

"I don't know," I said, still dazed.

"What do you mean, 'you don't know?' You just forgot to mention that you are an expert at sword fighting?"

"I'm hardly an expert," I said.

"Bella! You looked like Taylor back there!"

"Oh come on, Rob. I did some gymnastics when I was younger, that's all."

"Bella, that wasn't some teenage gymnastics move. How did you know how to handle that sword like that?"

"Rob, I have never picked up a sword before in my life!"

"Why are you lying to me about this? This is absurd!" He yelled.

I started to cry. _How could he accuse me of lying_?

"I'm not lying! Why would I?" I yelled back.

"I don't know why, but I know what I saw." He turned and stormed back toward the others.

I let him go, knowing we both needed to cool off. I watched him dismiss Jade and pick up Stephenie.

Kristen picked up David, and Jordan followed them up to the house.

I decided to walk over to the studio and pick up Kate. She had been shadowing my father long enough for one day. The walk would give me a chance to calm down.

I was lost in thought, meandering along the path when Ben pulled up next to me in one of the resort SUVs.

"Hi Bella," he said as he rolled down the window. "I want to introduce you to one of our new security guards. This is Phil."

The back door opened, and Phil stepped out and shook my hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Pattinson," he said.

"Call me Bella, please. It's a pleasure to meet you too. Welcome to the Cielo."

"Bella, let us give you a lift," Ben said.

"That's OK, I need the walk," I replied.

"We insist," Phil said, as I felt something hard against my side.

I looked down and saw a gun pointing at me.

"Ben, what's going on. Is this your idea of some bizarre security drill?"

"Get in the car, Bella," Ben said.

I stood my ground and glared at him. Phil drove the barrel of the gun deeper into my side.

"Do as he says, Bella," Phil said.

I reluctantly got in the back of the SUV.

I started to say, "What the fuck…" and then felt something sharp being jammed into my arm. I looked down to see Phil pulling a syringe away. He smiled and said,

"Sweet dreams, Bella," and everything went black.

_______________________________________________________________________________

**Author Notes: **The FanFiction story that "Bella" read about the interpreter Rob meets is a real story, and it IS hot! You can read it on Twilighted at: www [dot] twilighted [dot] net/viewstory [dot] php?sid=8528 or search for "Open to Interpretation" by elvis4scilla.

What Bella said about women who read steamy romances have better sex lives is true. You can read about it on my blog. Click on my profile. Go to my web site (home page). Click the 'Blog' menu option and scroll down to the blog titled, "Fanfiction Improving Women's Lives."

You can see the banner pictures for each chapter of this story on my web site. Click my profile for the link.

As my Avatar picture says, "Willing to bite humans for reviews!" Please review and let me know what you think! Reviews absolutely make my day! Thank you so much to those of you who faithfully keep my addiction to reviews supplied! LOL! 


	3. Chapter 3 Bond Jane Bond

**BPOV**

I opened my eyes. I was lying on an exam table; an IV was hooked to my arm. I looked around. It was a typical Doctor's office exam room except for the heavy steel door with the electronic lock. I started to sit up, but I couldn't move my wrist. I looked down to see that the arm without the IV was handcuffed to the exam table. I pulled out one of my earrings and used the wire loop to pick the lock on the handcuffs.

_How the fuck do I know how to pick the lock on handcuffs_, I thought, fleetingly, but I was already figuring out how to trip the door lock.

The lock was controlled by a thumb scan. I spun around and rifled through the office drawers until I found cellophane tape. I ripped a piece and pressed it carefully on the thumb pad and then lifted it off. I smiled when I saw an outline of the last person's print. I taped the piece with the outline onto my thumb and then carefully pressed my taped thumb onto the pad. The lock popped.

I opened the door and peered into the empty hall. I instinctively knew that the lobby was to my left. I approached a windowed door and looked through to see one bored and armed security guard sitting at a desk.

_Something's not right_, I thought. _ This is too easy._

I tried the door. It was locked.

_Plan B_, I thought.

I pounded on the glass while assuming a panicked expression. When the guard looked, I held my hand to my throat and gagged like I was choking.

He ran to the door and opened it.

My kick to the side of his head rendered him unconscious before he hit the ground.

I grabbed his gun. _Way too easy,_ I thought.

I walked into the lobby. It was deserted. All I had to do was walk out the front door. Instead, I aimed at the security camera in the corner, which was over forty feet away, and fired. It shattered. I took out the remaining three cameras in three shots.

_I guess along with sword fighting, I picked up target practice at some point. What the hell is happening to me?_

"Alright, Ben!" I yelled. "Come out, come out wherever you are. Game over."

I was met with silence.

"Well, I already proved that the bullets in this gun are real. I wonder how important it is for this security guard to continue to walk in the future, or if you'll let him bleed to death if I shoot him in the femoral artery?"

There was still only silence.

"Sorry," I glanced at the nameplate on the desk, "Hank, but they aren't leaving me any choice." I held up the gun and pointed it as his thigh.

I heard a door open on the opposite end of the room.

"Alright, Bella, game over," Ben said as he walked into the lobby.

I spun around and pointed the gun at him.

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't put a bullet through your soulless chest," I growled.

"The same reason you didn't walk out that door," he said, pointing to the exit. "You want to know why you are suddenly acting like James Bond."

"James Bond is a misogynist pig. How about Leslie Howard in _Intrigue_?" I asked.

Ben laughed. "Yeah, those instincts of yours are still as sharp as a knife."

"So Rob's movie and our plans to be in London are all somehow part of this, right?"

Ben nodded.

"I thought so. Everything to do with moving our family to London fell into place too easily."

"Just like you chose not to walk out that door because you knew it was too easy."

"What would you have done if I _had_ walked out the door?" I asked him.

"What would you have done to Hank if I hadn't walked in here when I did?"

I just smiled in reply.

"Since you're not going to kill me …," he began.

"At least not right now," I interrupted.

"Right, at least not right now, how about you put down the gun?"

I released the magazine and kicked it across the floor and then dropped the gun on Hank's desk.

"Follow me," he said.

We walked through the door from which Ben had emerged into a bustling science lab. We stood in a long hallway off of which were several large rooms. The rooms and the hallway were separated by glass so all of the research activity was visible to anyone passing by.

The first lab had several large cages each holding a monkey. I watched as a technician in a lab coat, gloves and goggles injected one of the monkeys. I looked into the animal's eyes, and saw such sadness that it made me gasp.

"What's wrong?" Ben asked.

"That poor monkey looks so sad," I said.

"He's suffering from a chemically induced form of depression that is similar to the effects of post traumatic stress experienced by soldiers returning from war. He's currently being treated with a substance that we are hoping will cure him."

Other labs contained rabbits, pigs and mice. Most of the labs had technicians who were working with the animals.

"So we're in a medical research lab," I said. "Who owns this place?"

"The government," Ben replied.

"I didn't know the government ran research projects directly," I said. "I thought that they contracted them out to medical centers and universities?"

"They run their own projects when the research is relevant to the military or to national security," he replied.

"National security," I scoffed. "The catch all phrase for, 'We can do whatever we want to do and are not accountable to anyone.'"

"Yeah, and that's how we like it," Ben said.

"We?" I asked.

"Patience, Bella, it will all be revealed very soon."

We reached the end of the corridor, and Ben opened a door that lead to a conference room. There were three other people in the room who all stood when we entered.

Ben introduced me to a man in a lab coat. "Bella, this is Dr. Allen Coleman."

"Hello," I said.

Dr. Coleman nodded, but I noted that he didn't extend his hand.

Ben pointed to a woman next to Dr. Coleman, who was also wearing a lab coat. "This is Dr. Paula Hart."

"Dr. Hart," I said.

She stepped forward to shake my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Bella. Do you mind if I call you Bella?"

"I guess not," I said.

"Please call me Paula," she smiled.

I nodded in reply.

"And last but not least," Ben said, pointing to an attractive thirty-something man who was dressed in a long sleeve black turtle neck, black jeans and black leather hiking boots.

"The man in black," I said automatically.

He stepped forward and took my hand in both of his and stared into my eyes.

"Bella," he said. "It is so good to see you."

"I, ah, wish I could say the same," I replied.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm Dex." He looked at me hopefully, as if he were willing me to remember him. "Dex McKay," he said.

"So we've met before?" I asked him.

He smiled. "Yes, several years ago."

"I'm sorry, I don't remember."

"I know," he replied. He continued holding my hand and staring at me until Ben cleared his throat.

"Let's all take a seat," Ben said.

After we sat down, Dr. Coleman said, "Bella, do you recall anything about being in this building before."

"Not directly," I replied. "But I instinctively knew my way around. I assume I was part of some experiment?" I asked.

Dr. Coleman nodded and looked at Ben.

"There's much more to it than that," Ben said. "Bella, you were trained by a special services unit made up of agents from the CIA and MI6, the British Secret Service. Since your father is British, you are technically a dual citizen, so you were hand picked for this unit."

"So I _am_ Jane Bond," I said, staring at Ben.

He nodded.

"Why don't I remember this?" I asked.

"That's where this lab comes in," Dr. Coleman said. "Circumstances required that your memory related to your agent experiences be erased. This procedure was highly experimental at the time…"

"So I'm Jane Bond _and_ a lab rat," I interrupted. "So did something go wrong? Is that why my skills are starting to return? Why did you bring me here?"

"Bella," Paula interjected, "I know this is disconcerting, but we will explain everything."

"So let me get this straight," I said. I stood up and walked over to where Paula was sitting. "You're the shrink who is supposed to keep me calm." I walked over to stand behind Dr. Coleman's chair. "You're the Doctor in charge of the lab rats, but you're pissed that your experiment somehow went awry; my presence is a reminder of your failure, so you resent the hell out of my existence. And you," I said, walking over to Dex, "clearly fucked me at some point and are dying to do it again. So that just leaves good old Ben, my trusted security chief. Somehow, you ended up my babysitter. Did I get the highlights right?" I asked with venom.

"Bella," Paula started to say.

"Spare me," I snapped at her.

"Ben how long have I been gone, and where the fuck does my husband think I am?"

* * *

**RPOV**

Kristen and I were sitting on the family room floor with Stephenie, David and Jordan. I looked around the room and was amazed at how quickly three kids could manage to cover every square inch with toys, blocks, cheerios, juice cups, and blankets. I was trying to stay focused on the block tower that David and I were building, but the image of Bella pointing a sword at the back of Jade's neck played itself out in my mind over and over again. _How the hell did she know how to do that, and why won't she tell me?_ I wondered for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon.

I heard a knock at the kitchen door and was about to get up to answer it when I heard Barry call my name.

"We're in the family room," I replied.

I looked up to see Barry followed by my parents and Jack. One look at their faces turned my blood to ice.

"What's wrong? Where's Bella and Kate?" I asked.

"Kate is with Kelly at our house," Barry replied. "Rob, come with me."

I stood up, and my Mom immediately took my place, attempting to keep David engaged. Jack challenged Jordan to a "dual," and my Dad picked up Stephenie and asked if she wanted him to read her a story. Obviously, they were here to take care of the kids because I was apparently needed elsewhere.

I followed Barry, struggling not to throw up from the tension that suddenly filled my gut.

As soon as we stepped outside and the door closed, I said, "Is she alive?"

"God, Rob! Yes! She's OK! I'm so sorry we scared you like that," he said.

I had to lean against the door and take a deep breath.

"OK, then what is it? Something's obviously very wrong," I said.

"You need to come with me," he said as he walked toward his car.

I followed him and stepped into the passenger side of his Aston Martin Vanquish.

As we pulled away, he said, "Rob, Bella is OK. I had to tell your parents and Jack an entirely different story. They think she's in the hospital as the result of a bad car accident."

"What? Why?" I asked.

"I'll explain everything. It's a really long story, so bear with me."

He looked at me, and I nodded.

"First of all, there's something you need to know about me, that until now, I was not authorized to tell you."

"Not authorized?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Rob, I'm an agent with MI6."

I laughed, assuming this was some weird joke related to the 'James Bond mobile' we were currently driving. He didn't smile.

"Barry, you're kidding, right?" I asked.

"No, Rob, I'm not."

I wondered if it was possible that he had dementia at such a young age.

Barry flipped open a panel on the dashboard and pressed his thumb to a scanner. The car's stereo system receded into the dash, and in its place, a computer monitor appeared.

"State your name please," a computerized voice said over the car's speaker system.

"Barry Jordan," he said.

"Voice authentication approved. How do you wish to proceed?" The computer asked.

"Place a call to the Prime Minister's office. Secure channel alpha, nine, bravo, four, quantum, seven."

"One moment, please," the computer said.

"Prime Minister Brown's line," a man's voice said.

"This is Jordan," Barry replied.

"One moment Mr. Jordan," the voice replied.

Twenty seconds later, a familiar voice said, "Gordon Brown."

"Prime Minister, my son-in-law is with me."

"Hello, Rob," the Prime Minister said.

"Hello, sir," I replied, utterly stunned.

"I know you are in shock, and I'm sure you're concerned about your wife. Let me assure you that she is fine. Everything that Barry is about to tell you is true. Rob, the lives of ten million people are depending on your cooperation."

"What? How is that possible?" I asked.

"Barry will explain everything. Rob, you, Bella and Barry have full access to me at any time. Barry will tell you how to reach me. If you have any questions, if you need anything at all, do not hesitate to contact me. I understand you are coming home, son. I'm sure our paths will cross soon. Until then, listen to your father-in-law. He's one of the best men we've got."

"Yes, sir," I replied.

Barry ended the call.

"Stop the car," I yelled at him.

He swerved to the side of the road. I jumped out, emptied my stomach, and then leaned against the car taking deep breaths.

Barry got out, walked to my side of the car, and handed me a water bottle.

I took it, rinsed out my mouth and then glared at him. "So Bella is a spy too, and she never _told me?_"

"She didn't know," he said.

"What the fuck do you mean she didn't know?" I screamed at him.

"Her memory was wiped before you met her," he replied.

"You can wipe someone's memory? How the hell did they do that, and why is she suddenly acting like a Ninja?"

"This probably isn't the best place for me to explain things," he said. "Are you OK to get back in the car?"

I nodded and slid back into the passenger seat.

"Where is she now?" I asked.

"Edwards Air force Base," he replied as he pulled back onto the highway.

"Why?" I asked.

"The lab and the doctor who wiped her memory are there. They are attempting to restore her memory."

"Why?"

"Rob, the Prime Minister wasn't exaggerating when he said ten million lives are at stake. The CIA and MI6 uncovered a terrorist plot to set off a nuclear warhead in London."

"What?" I yelled.

"Intelligence has confirmed that an old Soviet warhead was stolen and agents in Afghanistan verified that one of the extremist groups there has possession of it. We are sure they plan to blow up London, but we don't know when or how."

"Why do you need Bella? There must be hundreds of other agents you could use."

"Jesus, Rob! If there were _any_ other way, don't you think I would have kept her out of this?"

I stared at him for a full minute. "Barry, I just found out you're a fucking spy. I have no idea what you are capable of."

"Let's get one thing absolutely clear right now. There is _nothing_ more important to me than Bella. I did everything I could, called in every favor I had, tracked down every contact that could possibly give us another alternative, and every scenario pointed back to her. I could have told them to fuck off, but they probably would have taken me out, and brought her back in anyway. But even if they hadn't killed me, I couldn't stand by and let ten million people die."

"Why her, Barry?"

"She made a contact while she was an agent that we think can help get us information. It was a unique and unusual set of circumstances that put him in Bella's debt. Actually, the story behind it is somewhat of a legend, but it's too long for me to go into right now. You'll have to wait until another day to hear why your wife is one of the most respected agents in MI6 history.

But in addition to that contact, her current situation comes with an added bonus," he said and smiled at me.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Her connection to you could prove quite beneficial."

"Barry, what are you talking about? What does any of this have to do with me?"

"One of the cabinet members has been linked to the terrorists," Barry said.

"You're kidding?"

He shook his head. "I wish I were."

"Why don't they take him out?"

"Because he doesn't know we are on to him; if we can get someone on the inside, we may be able to gather intelligence from him."

"So what do I have to do with any of this?"

"The cabinet member is Logan Mitchell. Are you familiar with him?"

"Doesn't he have something to do with energy?" I asked.

"Yes, he's the under-secretary for the department of energy. However, the position he desperately covets is Minister of Culture, Media and Sport. He has methodically begun a campaign to garner the favor of every famous British artist, author, athlete, and …"

"Actor," I finished the sentence for him.

He nodded. "After you and Bella arrive in London, you will be invited to a State Dinner where you will be seated next to Mitchell. Rob, it's critical that you gain his trust. He's known for throwing elaborate parties at his home and inviting his famous pals to his office. You've got to get Bella inside."

"What do you want her to do?"

"She'll need to infiltrate as much of his communications and computer equipment as possible. It will take time and repeated visits in order for the devices to go undetected. He'll see your support as quite a trophy to add to his collection. You need to do whatever it takes to get him to invite you and Bella to his home and office as much as possible. You'll need to act like you are interested in his ideas, but you'll also have to 'play hard to get,' so he continues to seek you out."

"Look, I'll do whatever you want me to, but we can't bring the kids to London if there's any chance that we aren't going to succeed," I told him.

"All of our intelligence reported that they are still more than six months away from carrying out their plans. You'll be done filming by then."

"What if you don't have the information you need by then," I asked.

"That's not an option," he replied.

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4 Neural Biology 101

**BPOV**

"_Ben how long have I been gone, and where the fuck does my husband think I am?"_

"It's only been about four hours since we left the resort. One of our agents picked up Rob, and they are on their way here. He's explaining everything to him. The rest of your family thinks you've been in a car accident," Ben replied.

"Rob is never going to believe your agent," I said.

"Rob has already spoken with the British Prime Minister," Ben said.

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Bella, we've brought you back in because millions of lives are at stake, and you are the absolute best option we have for saving them."

"What are you talking about? Why me?" I asked.

"Bella," Paula chimed in, "we believe this will be much easier for you if you allow us to restore your memories. Once you can recall your experience as an agent, the reasons we've brought you back in will make more sense."

"What's involved?" I asked.

Dr. Coleman stood up, walked to the whiteboard, and began to draw a diagram of a neural pathway as he explained what had been done to me and what they planned to do to restore my memories.

"Memories are simply chemical reactions across neural networks. Each memory has a particular pattern that can be isolated using a neuron tagged with a fluorescent protein. Once isolated, memories are blocked by injecting a genetically engineered protein that attaches itself to the identified memory cells."

"You'll have to dumb it down for me, Doctor. I skipped Neural Biology 101," I told him.

Dex jumped in. "Bella, I was able to understand the research when I compared locating a memory in the brain to locating a car in a giant parking lot. Let's say that we have a suspect under surveillance, so we've attached a GPS tracker to his car."

"The tracking device is like the fluorescent protein that isolates the memory?" I asked.

"Right," said Dex. "Now, if the suspect was on to us and jammed the GPS tracker, his car would still be in the parking lot, but we wouldn't be able to find it."

"So the jamming device is like the genetically engineered protein that you injected into me to block my memories?"

"Yes, you still learn quickly!" Dex smiled. "Going back to our suspect example, if we put out a signal to block his jamming device, we would once again be able to find his car using the original GPS tracker."

"So you want to inject me with another protein which will counteract the first one?" I asked.

"You've got it," said Dex.

"Why have I started to regain some of my defensive and attack skills?" I asked.

"Bella," Ben began, "we have an agent on the inside at the Cielo…"

"In addition to you?" I asked. "How many babysitters did I need?"

They all chuckled.

"Well, apparently, you needed two. The other agent has been adding small doses of the protein to things you've been drinking…"

"Wait, what if someone else, like one of my kids had drunk this stuff?"

"It would not have had any effect on them since the protein is specific to your DNA. But this agent was very careful to make sure that it was only added to something you were drinking."

"How could a security guard possibly be so sure about what I was drinking?" I asked.

"Bella, I didn't say the agent was a guard," Ben replied.

"Ben, who the hell is it?" I asked.

"Bella, it will be better if you regain your memories first, then we'll answer any questions you have."

"Please tell me it's not Rob."

All four of them said simultaneously, "It's NOT Rob."

"Oh, thank God!" I gasped.

"We wanted to test the new protein to see if your memories started to come back," Ben said. "When I saw your sword display on the beach today via the security cameras, it signaled us that your memories had most definitely started to return, and that it was time to bring you in."

"Bella, we'll ask you to lie down and try to relax," Dr. Coleman said. "Once we inject the protein, you'll begin to feel sleepy, and as your memories return, it will feel similar to a dream. We are going to inject a series of proteins so that not all of your memories will return at once. We also want to give you time in between each injection to process what you are remembering."

Paula stepped forward. "Are you ready?" She asked.

_Am I ready?_ I thought. _What choice did I have? Millions of lives are at stake and the Prime Minister of England is involved. I didn't think it would go over well if I said, 'I'll pass, I have an appointment for a mani-pedi.' _

So, instead, I nodded and followed Paula to an adjacent room with a hospital bed. I lay down, and Dr. Coleman rubbed my arm with alcohol. "Bella, we will all be here throughout this process," he said.

I nodded. Somehow, that information did not reassure me.

I felt a sting as the needle stuck my skin, and the protein entered my bloodstream.

Almost immediately, I felt so tired I could no longer hold my eyes open.

_I was in the bathroom of the motel room I shared with James, and I was high. Whoa, it had been a long time since I felt like this. I had so much energy! I felt so alive! But my skin – ugh, I wanted to peel it off my body. Why did it crawl like that? God! And my nose! It was burning._

_I heard shouting. James was in the other room with a customer. He was always fighting with his customers, usually because they accused him of cheating them, which he was, of course. There was a crash, and then a gun shot. I whipped open the door and flew into the other room. James was standing over a man who had blood gushing from his chest. A horrible sound, like air escaping from a tire, was coming from the bullet hole. I stared at him as his eyes pleaded with me. _

"_Bella, he was a cop!" James screamed._

_My mind couldn't process that. "Why would you sell drugs to a cop?" I asked._

"_You are useless when you're high. We've got to get out of here. Come on!"_

_I couldn't move. My feet felt like they were cemented to the floor. I looked back at the man, and his eyes were frozen open, staring at me._

"_Bella! Snap out of it! Come on!" James screamed._

_I sank to the floor next to the dead man and closed his eyes. Then I held his hand and started to sob._

"_Stupid bitch!" James screamed as he ran out the door._

_I didn't know if it was the protein or the coke or both, but I had no sense of time. I don't know how long I knelt there with the dead man before the police arrived and dragged me out. _

Memories began to flash through my mind as if I were watching a video set to fast forward.

_I was sitting in a police car._

_Lights flashed._

_I was cold._

_I was sitting in a police station._

_The lights were so bright._

_I was in a conference room. A police officer told me I was an accomplice to the murder of a cop, and I could get life imprisonment. _

_I was sobbing. My father walked into the room. He was with another man whom I had never seen before, and who I assumed was an attorney. The other man flashed his wallet at the police officer, and I saw the cop's expression of surprise. The officer and the 'suit' left me alone with my father._

_I couldn't meet his eye. _

_He took my hand. "Bella, it will be OK. I'm going to make this go away."_

_I looked up but I couldn't see him through the tears that were pouring from my eyes. He held me while I sobbed. _

_My father was driving me to the rehab hospital._

_I was in agony from withdrawal. _

_Please let me die. _

_Please let me die. _

_Please let me die._

_I will survive this hell. _

_I will survive this hell. _

_I was in a 12-step meeting. Step One: I am powerless over drugs, and my life is unmanageable._

_My father arrived on visitor's day. _

"_I've been clean for thirty days now," I proudly told him._

_He smiled and hugged me._

"_Bella, I had to cut a deal to keep you out of jail," he told me._

"_What kind of deal?" I asked. "Like probation?"_

"_Bella," he took my hand, "there's something about me you need to know."_

_He was so serious, I was sure he was about to tell me he was dying._

"_Dad, are you OK? What is it?"_

"_I'm OK." He stared at the floor._

"_Dad, what is it?"_

"_I'm an agent with the British Secret Service."_

I sat straight up in the hospital bed and screamed.

* * *

**RPOV**

Barry and I arrived at the base. Barry showed the security officer his credentials, and we were allowed to pass through the gate.

We pulled up to a nondescript office building and walked into the main lobby.

Barry walked up to the security desk and pulled out his wallet. As he flashed his ID at the guard, he said, "Where's Hank?"

The guard glared back at him. "Your daughter kicked his ass. He's got a concussion, so I'm stuck on desk duty."

I could see Barry trying to repress a smile. "Oh, sorry about that, man. I hope you aren't stuck here too long."

"Yeah, right. Go on back."

We walked through a door and into a research lab. As soon as the door closed behind us, we heard Bella scream. We ran toward the direction that it came from, and Barry burst through a door and stopped dead in his tracks.

Bella was sitting on a hospital bed sobbing. When she heard us, she looked up, flew off the bed and slapped Barry across the face.

"You son of a bitch! How could you do this to me? You lied! You lied to me for my entire life! And it was you! You were the other agent at the Cielo! You drugged me! How could you drug your own daughter?"

She turned and threw herself into my arms.

"Please, please get me out of here. I can't do this, please," she begged.

I looked at Barry. He rubbed his jaw and said to Ben, "I take it you just started?" He asked.

Ben nodded.

"Do what you have to do," Barry said.

"What the fuck does that mean, Barry?" I snarled.

"They need to sedate her," he said.

"No!" Bella screamed and spun out of my arms. She bolted for the door, but some guy dressed all in black grabbed her arms and held her while some other guy in a lab coat stuck a needle in her arm.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING TO HER?" I screamed as I grabbed her unconscious body.

The guy dressed in black was still holding her arms. He met my eyes and then reluctantly let her go. I picked her up and carried her back to the bed. As I ran my hand across her cheek, I glared at Barry. "What is going on?"

"They just began the process to restore her memories. I'm guessing she just remembered when I first told her I was an agent, because that was pretty much her reaction back then too."

He followed this statement with a chuckle. His daughter had just slapped him and swore at him, yet he chuckled. I stared at him as if he had lost his mind.

He saw my expression. "She was outraged that I had lied to her about who I was. She had me on a pedestal, and I could do no wrong in her eyes. When I told her the truth, it shattered her image of who she thought I was."

I swore to myself that I would never do anything to make one of my children look at me the way Bella had just looked at Barry.

"Rob, once the procedure to restore her memory starts, it can't simply be stopped. She can take breaks, but she has to keep going to fully restore the neural pathways."

I nodded. Barry had explained the biology behind what they did during the drive here.

The man in the lab coat was rubbing alcohol on Bella's arm.

"What are you doing?" I growled.

He shot a look at Barry.

"Rob, it's OK. This Doctor originally did the procedure. He's injecting her with the next protein," Barry said.

The doctor looked at me and waited.

I nodded at him to continue, sat down on the edge of the bed next to Bella and pressed her hand to my lips. And then I did something I hadn't done in a long time. I shut my eyes and prayed.

* * *

**BPOV**

Once again, memories started to flash across the movie screen of my mind.

_I was in Dad's Vanquish; he was driving._

"_Subtle car, Dad. I'm surprised the agency lets you drive it." _

_He just smiled. _

_I had just finished rehab and was thrilled to have picked up a 90-day clean and sober chip at the center's Narcotics Anonymous meeting. "Graduating" from rehab meant I had to begin my new life as a spy. I stared out the car window, thinking back to how it all began._

_I had freaked when Dad first told me he was an agent. How could he have lied to me for my entire life? _

_When I finally calmed down, he explained that agents are not allowed to tell anyone about their job except their spouse. _

"_Mom lied too," I said, more calmly this time._

"_Honey, I'm so sorry. I was in the agency long before I met your mother. When I joined, I never expected to get married and have children. So I didn't anticipate this day would come."_

_The deal that Dad had arranged was that the CIA would erase any record of my arrest, and charges would never be brought against me. In exchange, I had to commit to a new program to train agents who were dual U.S. and British citizens. The CIA and MI6 saw this as an opportunity to strengthen relations between their organizations. In addition, the agents who graduated from this program would not be known by other agents within the CIA and MI6. One of their roles was to internally 'police' other agents who were suspected of corruption._

"_Dad, why do they want a recovering drug addict with a felony record?"_

"_It's not easy to find a dual U.S. and British citizen willing to become a spy. Based on your history before you got into drugs, they think you have a lot of potential. You're a musical prodigy, Bella, which means your brain is firing more synapses than the average person. Even the most inept musician has better problem solving abilities than a non-musician. Therefore, they believe because you are so gifted, you are a perfect candidate for finding solutions amidst life and death situations. Plus, you'll be the only one in the program with an agent for a father," he finished with a smile._

_I agreed to the CIA's terms. Trying to catch bad guys seemed like a better option than living with them behind bars._

_Dad was driving me to a training facility within the confines of Edward's Air force Base. He told me that the first six weeks would be similar to military boot camp, "except harder." He also told me that if I failed out of boot camp, the charges against me would reappear, "so you'd better work your ass off, little girl." _

* * *

**RPOV**

I was staring at Bella's eyes. I had watched her sleep hundreds of times and seen her closed eyelids flutter when she was dreaming. But that usually stopped after a few minutes when she went into a deep sleep.

As I watched her now, her eyelids continued to flutter non-stop, and this had been going on for hours.

I asked Dr. Coleman about it, and he said it was to be expected.

I looked around the room. We were never alone. Barry was usually in the room, but he had just left to get us some coffee. Either Coleman or Paula was usually in the room, but they took turns. The man that Barry introduced as Dex never left.

He walked over and checked the computer that was monitoring Bella's brain waves. He looked at her eyes, then at the monitor and then back at her eyes again. I saw so much more than professional curiosity on his face.

"You knew Bella when she was an agent?" I asked him.

He nodded. "I trained her and then became her field supervisor."

"But you were more than that," I said.

He met my eyes and said nothing for a long moment, and then he sighed. "I'm not at liberty to discuss anything with you about your wife's past. She'll have to tell you what you want to know." He turned and walked out.

_Yeah, I thought so,_ I said silently.

Bella started to stir, and her grip tightened on my hand. She opened her eyes and smiled at me.

"Please tell me you are real, and not a dream," she said.

I leaned down and kissed her deeply and passionately. When I stopped so she could take a breath, I said, "I am very real and very in love with you Mrs. Pattinson."

She smiled again.

"You can't imagine how happy I am to see you smiling," I said.

"You can't imagine how happy I am that boot camp is over!" She laughed. "But I made it! I graduated!"

"Well, congratulations!" I said, laughing with her.

I forgot that Paula was in the room. She had politely stayed in the background to give us a few minutes to connect, but now she interrupted.

"Bella, how do you feel?" She asked.

"Besides happy that I am done with boot camp, I'm exhausted and hungry. Oh, and I'm contrite. I really need to apologize to my Dad. Is he still here?"

"I'm right here, sweetheart," Barry said as he walked over and kissed the top of her head.

"Dad, I am so sorry!" She said as she gave him a hug.

"Yeah, that's what you said the last time," he replied. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Is it OK if I sit up?" She asked Paula.

"Yes," Paula replied. "Just go slowly, and then sit on the edge of the bed for a minute before you stand up."

Bella slowly sat up, and I wrapped my arms around her.

"Mmm, that feels good," she said. "My sense of time is all messed up, so it feels like you haven't hugged me in years."

I pulled her closer.

"Do we really have four kids?" She asked.

"Yes," I said.

"OK, good. I'm just making sure they didn't screw up my current memories."

I smiled and kissed her. "Are you ready to stand up?" I asked her.

"Yes, just don't let go," she said.

"Why, do you feel weak?"

"No, I feel fine. I just don't want you to let go," she smiled at me. "I hope we can get something to eat besides military food," she said looking at Barry.

"Don't worry, it's all handled. "I've been working out of this location for years. I know every decent caterer within fifty miles."

Barry led us to a conference room where a buffet had been set up. He was right, the food was good. I noticed Bella picking at her plate.

"I thought you said you were hungry?" I asked.

"Did Dad tell you how I ended up as an agent?"

I nodded.

"I can't get the image out of my mind of watching that police officer die. I just started regaining my memories, so I'm afraid that there are far worse memories that are still blocked."

"Bella," Paula began.

Barry held up his hand to stop her. "Don't patronize her," he said. He sat down next to Bella and took her hand.

"You're right. You saw some horrible things, but you also helped save many lives, Bella. You were very good at your job."

"One of the best," Dex added.

"If I was so damn good, why did you erase my memory?" She asked.

They were silent.

"I know, patience," she said. She looked at Paula. "I'm really tired. Is there somewhere I can sleep for real?"

"Yes, we have a guest suite set up. Your father had some of your things and Rob's sent up here, and they are waiting for you." Paula led us through a series of corridors to a quiet area that looked like a hotel. We entered a suite, and she handed me a key and a pager.

"Rob, if you need anything, just press this pager, and one of us will be here immediately."

Barry said, "I'll be next store. Pound on the wall if you need me. I'll call your house and tell them Bella is stable but you are staying at the hospital with her. Kelly knows how to keep the spin going on their end."

When Bella and I were alone, she sat down on the sofa and stared out the window. I sat next to her, took her hand and asked her what she was thinking.

"When Dad said that just now, about Mom handling the spin, I thought back to all the times in our lives where they were making up cover stories for him. I must have done the same thing."

I nodded and kissed her hand. I didn't know what to say. In that moment, I only knew how to love her.

After a few minutes, she stood up and walked toward the bedroom. "I need to sleep. Do you want to lay down with me?"

"Of course," I said.

We got undressed and slipped under the covers. I wrapped her in my arms, and she snuggled against my chest.

"This is heaven," she sighed. "Thank you for being here. I don't know how I would get through this without you."

"Of course I'm here. I will _always_ be right here for you," I said as I kissed the top of her head.

"I hope you don't mind if I just sleep right now?" She asked.

I chuckled. "Bella, do you think I'm incapable of lying next to you naked and not making love."

"Ah, yeah, pretty much," she giggled.

"You're right, but I'll control myself. I know you're exhausted."

She closed her eyes and relaxed into my arms. After about a minute, she started rubbing her hand on my chest, and then gradually began running her fingers lower along my body until she was stroking my dick.

"I thought you were exhausted?" I said, smiling.

"I am, but I guess I'm the one who is incapable of lying naked next to you without making love."

I rolled on top of her, and we spent several luxurious minutes exploring each other's mouths and tongues until she reached down to guide me inside of her.

We both moaned as our bodies connected.

"Just stay like this," she said. "I need to feel as much of your body next to mine as possible. I love feeling you on top of me. It's like being shrouded in a cocoon where I'm safe and loved by you."

"You are most definitely loved by me," I said as I ran my tongue along her neck.

We stared into each other's eyes as the tension built within each of us. Bella's breathing started to come in gasp's and when she threw her head back and clenched her muscles around me, I slowed my pace to let her come back down, and then I rocked back into her. Her hips rose to meet me once more, and she moaned and writhed below me as her second orgasm continued in a wave from the first. When she screamed and buried her mouth in my neck, I couldn't hold on any longer and exploded into her in a deep thrust that sent her over the edge again.

She exhaled slowly, and said, "Wow, did I ever need that. You are incredible, you know."

"I'm glad you think so," I said.

"I know so," she said just before she fell into a deep sleep.


	5. Chapter 5 Batgirl & Robert

**RPOV**

Bella and I were back in the lab. They had just injected her with the next protein.

She squeezed my hand and whispered, "I love you," and then she was out.

I was watching her eyelids flutter rapidly and wishing I could see what she was remembering when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Son, let's take a walk," Barry said.

I looked around the room. Paula was monitoring Bella's brain patterns, and Dex was at a desk across the room working on another laptop. My eyes lingered on Dex.

"Barry, I don't want to…"

He cut me off and looked at Dex. "Hey Dex, you're not going to fuck Bella if Rob leaves the room are you?"

"Jesus Barry!" Dex and I both said at the same time.

He laughed and looked at me. "Rob, you're right, Dex would love to fuck Bella…"

I interrupted him. "Don't you mean he would love to fuck her _again?" _ I asked.

"She remembers?" Dex asked with a shocked tone in his voice.

"No, I was just making sure," I said.

Barry laughed even harder.

"What I was going to say before you so rudely interrupted me," he said smiling, "was that as much as Dex wants to…"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," I interrupted again.

"…he wouldn't because, first of all, he knows I'd kill him, slowly and painfully, and second," he paused and looked at Dex, "he loves her and would never hurt her."

Barry looked back at me, and I nodded.

"Come on," he said, as he walked out the door.

I followed him to an elevator that took us to a series of underground corridors. When we stopped, we were standing inside a target range. Barry walked toward a counter, and the clerk smiled as he approached.

"Hey old man!" The clerk bellowed.

"Don't diss me in front of my son-in-law, Elmer Fudd," Barry said in mock anger.

"Ah, so we finally get to meet Mr. Bella," he said looking me over.

I looked at Barry. "I like it. That's a first."

"I like it too. From now on, you are 'Mr. Bella,'" he said, laughing.

As we chatted, "Elmer" put two sets of goggles and earplugs on the counter.

"What will it be today? Do you want the Tanfoglio?" He asked Barry.

"Yeah, that's good for me, but for 'Mr. Bella' here, I think the Ruger."

"You've got it," Elmer said as he disappeared through a door behind the counter.

"You're going to teach me to shoot?" I asked.

"As long as we're hanging around, I thought you could acquire a new skill. You never know when it might come in handy," he said with a smirk.

"Elmer" reappeared with two semi-automatic handguns and two boxes of cartridges.

Barry handed me a pair of goggles and earplugs and told me to put them on. Then he pushed a gun and a cartridge box toward me and nodded for me to follow him.

We walked to the edge of the practice range and placed the guns and ammunition on a table. Barry picked up the Ruger.

"I assume you haven't fired a weapon before?" He asked.

"Since they are illegal in the U.K., I never had the opportunity."

"Ah, but here in the states, where everyone has the right to bear arms, you could have been packing for years now," he laughed.

He showed me the gun's basic mechanics and how to load the clip into the bottom of the grip.

"Pump a bullet into the chamber by pulling back and releasing the slide on the top," he said as he demonstrated.

He handed me the Ruger, and he picked up the Tanfoglio.

"Wrap your left hand around your right hand. Your thumbs should meet and cross over the back of the pistol," he said as he showed me how he was holding the Tanfoglio.

I was so used to directors telling me exactly how to move, that I felt like I was on a movie set.

"Bend your elbows slightly," Barry continued. "Stand with one foot slightly behind the other and center your weight."

He checked my stance. "That looks good. Now line up the sights with the target. Keep both eyes open while you aim. Don't hold your breath. Exhale and then fire," he said, and his gun exploded. He hit the target a fraction of an inch off center.

"Damn," he said.

I raised an eyebrow. "I see where your daughter gets her perfectionism," he said.

He smiled. "OK, your turn."

I gripped the gun, balanced my stance, aimed, exhaled and fired. I hit the target at the circle's outer edge.

"Damn," he said again, but this time he sounded impressed.

"Did someone teach you to shoot for a movie role?" He asked.

"Nope, but we do have an Xbox," I laughed.

"Do that again," he said.

I fired again, and this time, I was slightly closer to the center.

Barry shook his head. "Kid, you're a natural."

"I take direction well," I smiled.

"Yeah, you sure do. Keep shooting."

By the time we emptied the box of cartridges, I had moved significantly closer to hitting the center.

"So if you're training me to be Batgirl's sidekick, does that make you Batman?" I asked, smiling.

"Precisely, Robin," he deadpanned. "We'll meet here tomorrow, same bat time…"

"Same bat channel," I laughed.

* * *

**BPOV**

_I was target shooting. I had just finished a box of cartridges and checked my score. Damn! I thought. I missed three bulleyes._

_I was shaking my head with disappointment when Dex walked over._

"_Bella, that was amazing," he said. "You've only been shooting for a few months and you are nearly perfect every time we practice."_

"_Yeah, I guess," I said._

"_Oh, I get it. It has to be perfect, right? Stop being so hard on yourself. Go grab something to eat. You'll need your energy for tonight's training exercise."_

_I nodded and walked outside, heading for the cafeteria. I was thinking about tonight. Our group was to be split up into five teams with four people to a team. It was a glorified version of capture the flag. Our teams had to parachute into our designated zones and then be the first team to locate the mock enemy camp and rescue our commander, who in this case, was Dex. _

"_Well if it isn't little miss rock star," I heard a nasally voice hiss from behind me._

"_And look, Dex doesn't have her on a leash?"_

_Candace and Tasha were the only two people in our class that I did not get along with. I had seriously wondered if I had issues with women since the other seventeen members of our class were men. But I dismissed that. These two girls were truly bitches. _

_I ignored them until they circled in front of me and stopped._

"_Is there something you want, Candy?" I asked her, using the nickname she hated._

"_Yeah, actually, we want to know how many times you had to blow Dex to be ranked number one in the class?" She replied._

_I rolled my eyes and stepped to the side to walk around them. Tasha grabbed my arm. I easily spun out of her grip, laughed, and kept walking. I knew they weren't going to let this go, so I was prepared when I felt a sharp point against my back. I dropped into a crouch and spun around. My kick landed directly on Candy's temple. I heard a sickening crack, and her body crumpled to the ground. I deflected Tasha's punch, drove my palm into her nose and felt the bones shatter. As I looked at their motionless bodies, I heard yelling and running footsteps as several of my classmates approached._

_Dex seemed to appear out of nowhere. He grabbed my arm and shook me out of my daze. _

"_Bella, come with me."_

_He brought me to his office and told me to wait there, and then he disappeared again._

_I watched the minute hand on his clock slowly circumnavigate its outer rim. _

_An hour passed, and his office door opened. He sat down next to me and took my hand._

"_Bella," he started._

"_Candace is dead," I said flatly._

_He met my eyes and nodded._

"_And Tasha?" I asked._

"_She'll probably have permanent brain damage," he said._

_I collapsed into a ball on the floor and started to sob._

"_No! I didn't want to kill them! I just acted on instinct! No!"_

_He pulled me into his arms while I sobbed on his shoulder._

_Once I caught my breath again, I asked,_

"_So this means I'm headed back to jail, right?"_

_He looked at me with a confused expression._

"_No, why?"_

"_You allow your students to kill each other?" I asked._

"_I do when it's self defense. Candace had a knife at your back when you attacked. The whole thing was recorded by the security cameras."_

"_But I killed her," I said._

"_She would have killed you. She just barely passed the psychological profile, and I didn't want to accept her into the program. But her father is a congressman, and pulled strings to get her in here. She was insanely jealous of you. She even accused me of sleeping with you."_

_I nodded. "That's what she said to me right before the attack."_

"_She was very manipulative and played on Tasha's insecurities. Tasha didn't have what it takes, and she knew it. We should have cut her right at the beginning, but the higher ups were afraid we would look like misogynist pigs, so we let her stay._

_Bella, you acted on instinct, using the training we've provided. You did exactly what you've been taught to do. There will be a review, but I assure you that you will not be found at fault."_

_His words, 'You did exactly what you've been taught to do,' reverberated in my mind._

"_You're training me to be a killer," I gasped._

"_Bella, of course we are! You have to know how to defend yourself."_

"_No, I mean, you, personally are training me to be an assassin."_

_He looked into my eyes for a long time._

"_You're the best I've ever seen. You absorb everything we teach you instantly. Your aim with a pistol is practically flawless, and obviously, your hand-to-hand combat skills are deadly. We'd be crazy to not be training you as a double-O."_

"_Double-O, as in 007? You mean that's real?"_

_He nodded. "A few hand picked agents actually are granted license to kill." _

* * *

I gasped and opened my eyes.

Dex walked over and looked at me.

"You trained me to kill people?" I sobbed.

He started to reach for my hand, and I recoiled. "Don't touch me!" I screamed at him.

"Get away from her!" I heard Rob growl as he ran into the room.

Dex backed off and disappeared.

I sat up, and Rob pulled me into his arms.

"I'm a monster! They trained me to be a monster!" I sobbed into his chest.

"That's not possible," he said gently.

"Yes it is! I killed people! I killed some girl in my class just because she was jealous!"

*******************

**RPOV**

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Barry talking to Dr. Coleman. Coleman nodded, disappeared from the room and was back in a moment with another syringe.

I looked at Barry, and he nodded to let me know it was OK.

I held Bella tightly and kissed her head.

When she felt the needle, she screamed and looked at me with disbelief.

"How could you let them…" she said before her eyes closed.

I gently laid her back on the bed and looked at Barry. "Is she going to deck me when she wakes up?"

"Yeah, probably, if she remembers waking up at all," he said with a chuckle.

"I'm glad you find this so amusing, Barry," I said with a tone that was anything but amused.

"Rob, she woke up too soon. You and I both know she's not a monster. She did kill some lunatic in her class, but the girl had a knife pointed at Bella's back and would have killed her."

"Barry, I'm really worried about what all of this is doing to her. How can you be certain that she'll be OK once the procedure is finished?"

He walked over to Bella and brushed his hand across her forehead. "Rob, I won't bullshit you. There are no guarantees. But,"

His voice broke, and he looked away for a moment before he continued.

"I couldn't let millions of people die. She's the best chance we have for stopping those bastards."

* * *

**BPOV**

_I walked into the gym, dropped my bag in the corner and jumped on the treadmill to warm up. It was hard to believe that over a year had passed since we started training, but we were nearing the end, and Dex was pushing us. Each day, he added a new skill set that built on our previous knowledge, and he expected us to practice until we could no longer stand up. I made it a point to be the last 'man' standing every night. _

_Dex motioned for us to join him at the mat. _

"_Jordan and McDonnell you're up," Dex said._

_Colin McDonnell's chauvinistic attitude combined with his deadly left cross made him one of my favorite sparring partners. _

_I grabbed a hairclip from my bag and was twisting it into a chignon when Colin sneered,_

"_You really ought to cut that hair of yours. It puts you at a disadvantage in a fight."_

_I smiled and let my hair fall back down. I flipped my head in front of me and tossed my hair back as I ran my hands through it. I turned and met Colin's eyes as I twirled a piece of hair around my finger and strolled up to him. I was sure I saw drool form at the edge of his lip._

"_Really," I said seductively. "I always thought…"_

_I kicked his legs out from under him, slammed a knee into his chest and threw a punch to his neck; I stopped millimeters away from impact with a blow, that if I had followed through, would have done the female population of the world a favor by eliminating another male chauvinist pig._

"_As I was saying, I always thought my hair could be very useful in a fight."_

_The class erupted in laughter at Colin's expense. A couple of his fellow Cro-Magnon dragged him to the side of the mat._

"_OK, that was quick," Dex said, laughing. "Bella just demonstrated several skills that will save your lives. What were they?"_

"_She kicked his ass," several guys yelled._

"_Before she kicked his ass, what did she do?" Dex asked._

"_She used quick thinking and stayed calm. She didn't let him rile her," Justin said._

"_Good," said Dex. "What else,"_

"_She distracted him," Mark said._

"_Exactly," Dex said. _

"_So you're saying female agents should use their feminine wiles to get the upper hand?" Dwaine asked with a smirk._

"_I'm saying all of you should use whatever advantage you have to gain the upper hand."_

"_So, in Bella's case, should she offer to blow a guy if it gets her the upper hand?" Sean said._

_I looked at Dex and smiled._

"_Sean, you just volunteered to take Colin's place." _

_The room erupted in howls._

_The memory shifted. I was in my trainee assigned apartment and had just stepped out of the shower. There was a knock at the door. I grabbed my robe and a towel and made my way to the peephole. Dex was standing there._

_I opened the door._

"_How's Sean?" I asked._

_He smirked. "It's questionable whether or not he will ever father children, but he'll survive. Can I come in? There's something I need to discuss with you."_

_I stepped aside, and he walked in and stood there awkwardly. _

"_Do you want to sit down?" I asked._

_He plopped on the couch and looked around at the basic student apartment._

"_I hadn't thought about this before, but it must have been difficult to adjust to living in this dump after living at the Cielo?"_

"_Not anywhere near as difficult as it would have been if I'd moved into a jail cell."_

"_Good point," he said smiling._

"_Bella, our top students are chosen to train with a martial arts master who consults for us. He's personally trained every double-O for the past twenty years. Right now, he's consulting on a film being produced in the U.K. I'm taking you, Evans and Clarke over there. He's got some availability this weekend, so we're leaving tomorrow."_

_I nodded._

"_That's it, no questions?" He asked._

"_Look, Dex, I have learned to follow orders. If you say we are going to England tomorrow, then I know that tomorrow I'll be on a plane. It doesn't really matter whether or not I have questions or an opinion does it?"_

_He looked at me for a long time and then said, "I keep forgetting that you didn't sign on for this. You're such a natural, it's hard to remember that you don't want to be here. No, Bella, you don't have to go to England if you don't want to."_

"_Thank you for the choice, Dex. I'll go."_

"_Good. Our flight leaves at 7:00 AM."_

_The master we were to train with was consulting on the fourth Harry Potter movie, 'The Goblet of Fire.' He choreographed the scene where the Durmstrang students first appeared and performed their intimidating entrance wielding and twirling magical staffs._

_Our instructor, Master Quay, was the world's foremost expert on katana, a form of sword fighting. I was engrossed in our lessons and was always disappointed when the sessions ended. I fell in love with everything about this martial art._

_Master Quay had arranged for a practice studio close to the set. When he wasn't working with the actors, he was training us. Today, he insisted we visit the set. He was proud of his choreography and wanted us to see his work first hand._

_As I stood off camera and watched the director set the scene, I overheard a group of girls behind me._

"_Oh my God! Have you seen him in costume today?"_

"_Talk about hot."_

"_So who's fucked him so far, and how is he?"_

"_Who hasn't fucked him is a better question."_

_I assumed they were talking about Daniel Radcliffe, but as soon as I had that thought, I heard,_

"_Daniel's pissed."_

"_Why?"_

"_Rob's seen far more action on this one movie than Daniel has in all four!" _

_This was met with knowing laughter._

_Now I was dying of curiosity. I noticed a call sheet on a nearby table and picked up a clipboard to see who 'Rob' was. The name, "Robert Pattinson" appeared on the list of actors for today's shoot. I flipped through the call sheet pages and saw he was playing Cedric Diggory, the Hogwart's champion._

_It suddenly grew quiet behind me, and I heard, _

"_Hi Rob," followed by a giggle._

_I turned to look at the man that had every woman on the set lined up to screw him._

_Our eyes locked. He stopped, walked over to where I was standing and said,_

"_Excuse me. Have we met before? You look incredibly familiar. I'm Rob Pattinson," he said extending his hand._

_I smiled, and thought, 'What an original pick up line.' As I inwardly laughed, I shook his hand and said, "No, Rob, I don't believe we have met before. I certainly would have remembered you."_

_He smiled. "Are you one of the extras?" He asked._

"_No," I replied, and before I could elaborate, the assistant director called, "Places!"_

"_It was nice to meet you," he said, and then walked onto the set._

_Wow, I thought._

_Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the girls I had heard gossiping earlier glare at me._

"_Oh come on!" I said to them. "He's definitely jail bait!" _

_They looked somewhat relieved._

_Yeah, I added silently, as I watched him walk away, but a night with him would almost be worth going back to jail._

* * *

I opened my eyes, and the gorgeous actor I had just seen walk onto the Harry Potter set was looking back at me.

"So exactly how many women did you fuck on the 'Goblet of Fire' set?" I demanded.

"What?" He laughed.

"You heard me."

"Where on earth did that question come from?"

"I was on the 'Goblet of Fire' set. I met you, and my ego is totally wounded because you obviously don't remember meeting me."

"What were you doing there, and when did we meet?"

I told him about the memory that had just returned.

"That's amazing. You know, I do remember you now! I remember being drawn to you as if you had a magnetic pull. And I definitely remember trying to figure out how I was going to talk to you again so I could sleep with you later."

"Right, so back to my original question."

"Which was?"

"How many women did you sleep with on that movie?"

"Well, I was kind of popular on that particular movie."

"Yeah, so I heard."

He bent down, kissed my neck, and then whispered in my ear, "They were all very useful encounters that allowed me to perfect my skills so I was ready when you came along."

"Mmm, well when you put it that way…" I said as I kissed him.

* * *

**Author Note:** Rob and Barry's Batman exchange was in reference to the corny 1960's television show. Every episode ended with the announcer saying, "Tune in again tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel."

The next chapter is titled, "Jail Bait." Be sure to "tune in" again next week for a freshly squeezed glass of lemonade … same bat web site. LOL!


	6. Chapter 6 Jailbait

**BPOV**

Rob and I bolted back to our suite. The moment the door shut behind us, I pushed him against the wall, and said, "Come here jail bait."

"Jail bait?" He said, as he raised an eyebrow.

"Mmhmm," I sighed as I ran my tongue along his neck. "During that last memory, I watched you walk onto the set and realized that you weren't even old enough to be a consenting adult."

"I _was_ jail bait," he said.

"Exactly, but at that moment, I was willing to go to jail in exchange for a night with you," I said as I unbuttoned his shirt.

He smiled and rolled his eyes.

As I kissed him, I murmured, "God, sometimes I can't believe you're real and you're mine. You are too sexy for one human being. It's like God forgot to hit the off switch when he was doling out your sexiness quota."

"That last memory is doing amazing things for my ego," he said as he slid his hands inside my jeans and pulled my hips into his.

"Yeah, I think being surrounded by all of those women who wanted you, and then you wanted me – God! It was a total turn on!" I grabbed his hand and led him into the suite's living area. It had a large dining room table that was taller than the standard table.

"I think this table is going to be the perfect height," I said.

"The perfect height for what?" He asked as he wrapped his arms around me from behind and began to tease the nipples on my breasts.

I leaned against him and moaned while he nuzzled my neck and continued to drive me wild with his ministrations.

I broke away, spun around and began to unbutton his jeans. I pushed them to the floor, and he stepped out of them.

"You didn't answer me," he said, as he crushed his lips to mine.

"Come here," I said. I lay down on the table on my back. I slid so that my head was hanging off the end and motioned for him to stand behind me.

"Oh my God Bella, are you sure? I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

"You won't hurt me. I'll push you away if it gets uncomfortable. I want you. Come here baby. Fuck my mouth."

He placed his hand under my neck to support it, and then slid his throbbing cock into my mouth.

We both moaned.

He started out very slowly and gently. I knew he was afraid of hurting me, so I reached back, grabbed his hips and pulled him further into my mouth. I relaxed, and he slid down my throat.

His ecstatic moans were the most erotic sound I'd ever heard.

He finally let himself go and completely gave in to the pleasure. He drove himself deeply into my mouth and down my throat until he exploded. His entire body shook in release and his scream was unlike any I'd ever heard before.

He slowly and gently pulled away from me and lifted my head so I was in a sitting position. He picked me up and carried me to the sofa, and then pulled me into his arms and buried his head in my hair. He held me tightly for so long, without saying a word that I finally asked,

"Rob, baby, are you OK?"

"God, Bella! Am I OK? Are you OK? I can't believe what you just did. I couldn't even talk just now. I've never had an experience that even comes close to that!" He leaned back, held my face in his hands and looked at me with such adoration and love, that my eyes immediately filled with tears.

"Baby, what's wrong?" He asked, in a panicked voice. "Are you OK? Did I hurt you?"

I shook my head. "Nothing's wrong! The way you looked at me just now…there was such love and adoration in your expression; it brought tears to my eyes."

"God, I love you!" He said, as he kissed me.

We stayed on the couch for a long time, just holding each other and kissing until our passion ignited again. I leaned back on the sofa, and Rob slid inside of me.

"I can't get enough of you," I moaned as I pulled his mouth back to mine.

"I want you to feel the way that I did earlier. I want to make you scream all night," he said as he started to pull away from me.

I grabbed his neck and pulled him back toward me. "Not tonight," I said as I kissed him. I need to feel you close to me, just like this. Don't go anywhere."

"Bella, I am so in love with you. I want to spend the rest of my life making love to you."

"That's exactly what we're going to do because I'm never letting you go."

******************

Several hours must have passed because the room was dark. We were still lying on the couch. My back was spooned against Rob's chest, and his arms were wrapped around me. I awoke because he was whispering my name.

"What is it baby?" I asked groggily.

"Bella, I need to go home tonight."

"Why?" I asked with alarm as I rolled over to face him. "What's wrong?"

"Shh, it's OK. Kate's just pulling her Linda Blair routine, and my parents and your Mom are at the end of their rope."

"Oh God, I know the kids need you, so you have to go…" My voice broke as I finished my sentence, and tears came to my eyes.

"Honey, what is it?"

"I ..." The words caught in my throat.

"It's OK, tell me," he said.

"I'm scared. I'm so scared, Rob, and I know you have to go, but I don't know how I can make myself go back to the lab if you aren't with me."

"What are you scared of?"

"I know that there are horrific memories waiting for me, and I …"

He pulled me closer, and I cried against his shoulder.

"Oh God, I've cried on your shoulder so many damn times!" I wailed in frustration.

"It's OK, that's what they're there for."

I sniffed and smiled at him half-heartedly. "I really do love you, you know," I said.

"I do know, and I really love you." He kissed me and then said, "I have an idea."

He sat us up, turned on the light next to the sofa and dug his phone out of his pants pocket.

I looked at him questioningly, but he just smiled as he pressed a key on his phone.

"Hey Barry. Can you come next door and talk to us? OK, see you in a minute."

He looked at me and smiled. "Would you like a bathrobe?"

"Ah, I guess that would be a good idea since we're about to have company."

He slipped his jeans back on, disappeared into the bedroom, and came back with my robe.

I slipped it on and quickly grabbed the rest of our clothes that were strewn across the suite and threw them into the bedroom just as my father knocked.

As Dad walked in and yawned, I said,

"Sorry we woke you."

"I wasn't asleep. Who can sleep with all the noise around here?"

Rob and I looked at each other and burst out laughing.

"Ah, sorry about that, Dad. We forgot you were next door!"

'Yeah, whatever, at least someone's having a good time around here," he grumbled.

_Hmm_, I thought, _I'll have to talk to Mom about the joys of phone sex!_

"Barry, I told Bella that I planned to go home tonight, and she told me she really needs my support in the lab. Would you mind bringing Kate here? She's too young to know the difference between a real hospital and this place. When shes visits Bella, we could put a removable walking cast on her leg and tell her she has to stay here while her leg is healing."

"OK, that sounds like it will work. I'll call Kelly and let her know, and I'll pick up Kate in the morning. Now, I'm going to try to get some sleep. Do you two mind keeping it down in here?"

"No problem, Dad," I laughed. As I hugged him I said, "I love you, thank you for everything."

"You know I'd move mountains for you little girl. Sleep tight."

* * *

I woke up the next morning with a feeling of dread emanating from my gut; it was slithering its way into the rest of my being.

Rob opened his eyes and smiled. "Good-morning," he yawned.

"Yeah, I guess," I replied glumly.

He pulled me into his arms. "What is it?" He asked.

"I'm nervous about today. I have a feeling that I'll remember something that I would much rather forget forever."

"I'll be right there the whole time, OK?" He said, trying to reassure me.

"Thanks. That does help a lot."

"And Bella," he said as he placed his palm against my cheek. "No matter what you remember, I will _always_ love you. It does not matter to me what happened before I met you."

Tears came to my eyes, and I whispered, "Thank you, I love you."

* * *

_I was on a Comanche stealth helicopter with several agents and Dex, who was seated next to me._

"_Congratulations, Bella," he said, as he handed me my new ID. "You are now officially a double-O."_

_I looked at the ID. Printed below my picture and name was the number, '00337898.'_

_I smiled. "So does this number mean I'm the 337,898__th__ double-O in the history of MI6?" _

_He laughed. "No, every agent has an identification number that is eight digits long. But the double-Os' ID numbers all start with two zeroes."_

"_Dex, are you a double-O?"_

_He nodded. "Only double-O's can train other double-O's."_

_We were preparing to parachute into the Putumayo region in Columbia. Two MI6 agents who had been training Columbian anti-drug enforcement officers were kidnapped. Satellite surveillance had located them in a camp five miles from our drop zone. This was a reconnaissance mission. Our plan was to get close enough to observe the camp, learn their routines, and locate where the captives were being held. It was unlikely, given the limited number of agents and our current lack of intelligence, that we would attempt a rescue._

_We made the night jump and set up our base of operations. Dex sent two agents to scout the camp's exact location. A few hours later, they radioed that they were almost back to our makeshift base. I decided to take advantage of the calm before the storm and quietly slipped into the woods to 'use the facilities' in private. As soon as I had walked twenty feet away from base, I heard footsteps behind me._

"_You know better than to take off alone," Dex barked._

"_Jesus, Dex. Give me a break. I'm the only female on this team. I can't even go to the bathroom alone?"_

"_Sorry, but I didn't spend the past two years training you to have you walk into the jungle and get killed. I won't peak."_

_I slipped behind a tree. As I stepped back around and started to walk toward Dex, the night exploded with gunfire and screams. I took off toward the camp with Dex on my heels. I drew my pistol as I ran and was about to emerge from the trees when Dex tackled me. He put his hand over my mouth as we hit the ground. He whispered in my ear, "Do not move. Do not speak."_

_I struggled to free myself, and he tightened his grip around my arms and jerked my head back with the hand that was over my mouth._

"_That is an order. They will kill you too."_

_I stared through the brush at the carnage that only minutes ago, had been our base camp. I saw the body of Derrick Collins lying ten feet from me with a gaping hole where his chest should have been._

_To Derrick's right, was Kyle Brown; he was moaning as he clutched his leg. He suddenly looked up in terror; there was a gunshot, and Kyle's face disappeared from his body._

_I buried my head against Dex's arm and stifled my sobs. _

_We stayed frozen for several more minutes and then Dex motioned for me to follow him. We crawled on our bellies and slithered away from the camp, moving further into the dense bush. When Dex deemed it was safe to do so, we stood and moved as silently and quickly as possible deeper into the jungle. _

_After several hours, Dex stopped, checked his compass and said, "We'll rest here." _

_I dropped to my knees, held my head in my hands and sobbed._

_He knelt next to me, pulled me into his arms and held me while I cried. He kissed the top of my head and whispered, "Thank God you're OK."_

_I pulled away and looked at him. "But the others…" I said._

"_I know. I've never lost anyone under my command before. Shane and Eric must have led them right back to our camp. I was a fool to let them go alone."_

_I put my hand on his cheek. "You probably couldn't have changed anything, and then we would all be dead."_

_He put his hand on mine. "I will blame myself for their deaths for the rest of my life. But if you had been killed, I would have gone down taking as many of those bastards out with me as I could, or I would have put a bullet in my head."_

"_Dex, what are you saying?"_

_He let go of my hand, ran his fingers along my cheek, and then circled my lips. "You mean you don't know?"_

_I shook my head._

_He smiled. "Bella, I've been in love with you since the first minute I laid eyes on you."_

"_What?" I gasped._

"_I love you." _

_My mind became a whirling dervish. Dex loved me? Dex who was my commanding officer, my teacher, trainer, and friend? Dex who I had spent virtually every waking moment with for the past two years? Dex, whom I realized had become the center of my world, loved me. _

_I smiled. "You do?"_

"_I really do," he replied. "And I know you don't feel…"_

_I grabbed the back of his neck and pulled his lips to mine. I didn't know what I felt for Dex, but in that moment, I wanted to forget about the devastation we had left behind. I wanted to forget the images of Derrick's dead body and Kyle's terrified face. I wanted to get lost in this kiss and feel loved._

_His kiss started gently and slowly, but as he sensed my urgent need, it became filled with passion and desire. _

"_Bella, not here, not now," he said between kisses._

"_Yes, now. I want to forget."_

_He stopped kissing me, and looked into my eyes, and I saw the struggle behind them._

_I smiled. "I don't just want to forget. I want you. Make love to me."_

_He crushed his lips to mine. We frantically started unbuttoning each other's shirts while our tongues explored each other's mouths. He kissed his way down my neck as I ran my hands across his muscled back. His tongue lingered on the top of my breast while he unfastened my bra and then his mouth moved to devour my breasts; I writhed beneath him, ran my hand across his bulging crotch and then reached for his belt. _

_He stopped kissing me and looked into my eyes. "Are you sure?"_

"_God! Yes!" I gasped and pulled his mouth to mine._

_As we fiercely kissed, I freed him from the confines of his fatigues. I ran my hand along his length, and he moaned and leaned back to rid me of my pants. He paused before sliding into me and looked into my eyes again._

"_Dex, I want you." I reached down and guided him inside of me and arched my hips to meet him. We both moaned as our bodies came together._

"_Oh, God Bella! You have no idea how many times I've dreamt of being inside you." He buried his mouth in my neck. His tongue found the spot below my ear that shot new waves of desire through my body and elicited another moan. In the next moment, his tongue was swirling one of my nipples; as I whimpered, indicating my need for more; he took one breast and then the other into his mouth before he started kissing his way down my stomach. He slipped out of me, and I groaned at the loss, but his tongue instantly replaced the emptiness; I cried out as he fucked me with his tongue and worked my clit with his fingers. When he moved his tongue to my clit and buried his fingers in my core, it only took seconds before I screamed in ecstasy and arched into his mouth. The moment I relaxed, he slid into me again, and buried his mouth on mine._

"_Deeper, harder, Dex! I need you!" I wrapped my legs tightly around his hips and clung to his back while I buried my face in his neck. As his body pounded into me, the sorrow and devastation was temporarily left behind. I let go and succumbed to the passion that filled me; he buried himself deeply one last time and arched his head back; "Bella!" he moaned as he exploded into me._

_He collapsed on top of me, and we clung to each other while our breathing subsided. He leaned back, looked at me and smiled while he brushed the matted hair from my face. _

"_God, you're beautiful," he said and kissed me._

"_Dex, thank you. I needed to feel alive after what happened. I needed to feel loved."_

_He looked into my eyes again. "Is that all it was for you?"_

_I ran my hand along his cheek. "I don't know. I know that I love you. But I don't know if I'm in love with you."_

_He smiled. "I can live with that for now." _

* * *

**Author Note:** Real Life has been "real crazy" lately, and it's been hard to find the energy to write. So PLEASE click that review button, even if it's just to say, "Hi," and let me know you're enjoying the story. Your reviews truly energize me. I LOVE THEM! So go ahead and 'make my day!' LOL!


	7. Chapter 7 Live and Let Die

**BPOV**

I opened my eyes, and Rob smiled at me.

"No!" I said. "Don't wake me up now! I need to know what happens next. Give me the next shot!" I yelled at Paula.

"Bella, you have to have some time to process each memory."

"You've given me back to back shots before!"

"That was when you woke up earlier than we expected. Your conscious mind needs time to integrate the memory. I can't put you out again yet."

I jumped off the table and headed for the door. Rob started to follow me. I turned around and took his hand, "Honey, I need to be alone right now. I'm going for a walk."

He nodded.

I looked at Paula. "There's a track along a river that runs behind this building, right?"

"Yes," she said. "You remember that?"

"No," I laughed. "I saw it when I looked out our bedroom window."

I found an exit at the back of the building and made my way to the track. I had to release some of the energy that my racing mind was creating. I started jogging and tried to turn off my thoughts, but they wouldn't stop coming.

_Dex loved me? We made love. I loved him? What happened to us? What happened to the kidnapped agents? And why did they erase my memories? _

I stopped running and screamed, "UUUUGGGGGHHHHHH! THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

I heard a chuckle behind me, and turned around. Dex was standing there.

"Now there's the Bella I remember," he said smiling.

I walked over to him and met his eye. "You loved me."

He nodded and took my hand. "I still do, and I always will."

He saw the frustration and pain in my eyes.

"But I accept that you belong to Rob. It's so clear when I see how you look at each other that you were born to be together. You love him in a way that you could never have loved me. I'm truly happy that you found your soul mate, Bella."

I put my hand on his cheek. "Dex, I …"

At that moment, I saw Rob walk around a curve in the track. Our eyes locked, and a look of fury crossed his face.

I pulled my hands away from Dex and started to walk toward Rob, but he turned and stormed away.

"Shit!" I said, as I jogged after him. As I got closer I called, "Rob, wait!"

He ignored me and kept walking.

I picked up my pace and ran until I was next to him.

He continued to ignore me.

"So how long are you going to keep this up?" I asked.

He stopped, turned and glared at me.

I smiled. "You're being so 'Edward!'"

"What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come on. You're acting just like Edward did every time he saw Bella anywhere near Jacob!"

"I get enough of that shit from the rest of the world, I don't need it from you!" He yelled, and kept walking.

_Whoops_, I thought. _Wrong approach._

"Rob, please wait. I'm sorry."

He stopped. "What are you sorry for?"

"I'm sorry I tried to make light of your feelings by comparing you to a movie character."

"Thank you," he said.

"But you _are_ being ridiculous."

"How am I being ridiculous? You ran out of the lab just now so you could find Dex, and I'm the one who's being ridiculous?"

"I did not leave to find Dex. He found me."

"And that's somehow supposed to make me feel better?"

"Do you know what he said to me just now?" I asked him.

"That he's dying to fuck you?"

"Don't make me kick your ass," I said smiling.

I saw him trying to suppress a smile. _Good, better approach this time._ I thought.

"What did he tell you?" He asked.

"He said he knew I belonged to you, and he could see how much we love each other. He told me he was truly happy I had found my soul mate." I looked at him and raised my eyebrow.

Rob looked at the ground for a minute; I assumed he was working up the courage to admit he'd been an asshole.

He looked up and mumbled, "I'm sorry."

"What was that? I didn't quite get it," I said with a smirk.

"I'm sorry I was an asshole," he said.

"Ah much better. It takes a strong and confident man to admit when he's been an ass," I said as I kissed him. "How can you _possibly_ doubt how I feel about you?"

"I don't doubt it. It was my inner caveman," he said smiling.

"OK, I'm glad he's back in his cave, now."

Rob's phone rang. He looked at the caller ID and said, "Hi Barry." His face lit up. "I'll be right there."

He ended the call, took my hand and began walking back toward the lab building. "Barry's here with Kate. You need to go put on a walking cast."

When we got to the building, I headed back to the lab, and Rob went to the lobby to meet Dad and Kate. When I got to my room, I climbed back into bed and told Paula I needed the cast we had discussed earlier. She helped me wrap it on my leg. We finished, just as I heard a happy squeal erupt from the doorway.

"Mommy!" Kate flew over to the bed and hopped into my waiting arms.

"Mommy, are you OK? I was really scared!"

"Sweetie, I'm fine. My leg just needs some time to get better."

She looked at my cast and immediately started to ask questions about what happened, why I was there, what they were doing, did I have other boo boos, how did I take a bath and on and on as only a four year old can. When she finally ran out of questions, Dad brought lunch for all of us into my room. We ate, and then I read a story to Kate and could see she was getting tired. I told her that Grandpa was going to take her to Daddy's hotel room so she could take a nap, but that I would see her when she woke up. Fortunately, she was too tired to resist, and I could see her already nodding off on Dad's shoulder as he carried her out of the room.

I looked at Paula. "OK, let's do this. I'm getting sick of this place!"

"I've got it all ready for you, she said, as she wiped down my arm with alcohol."

Rob kissed me. "Sweet dreams, my love."

I smiled at him, and in the next moment…

_I was stepping off the Comanche helicopter that Dex and I rendezvoused with the morning after the attack. We had arrived at a Columbian air base in Larandia. We were whisked into a conference room with the MI6 and CIA directors in charge of Columbian operations, a Marine colonel and two Columbian drug enforcement officers._

_Dex had told me on the helicopter to keep my mouth shut and only speak when asked a direct question. _

_He finished his briefing and said, "I take responsibility for sending two novice agents to scout the camp's location. They obviously led the attackers directly back to our camp. Agent Jordan and I circled back to the base camp the morning after the attack. There were no survivors, and the body of Agent Johnson was missing."_

_The MI6 Director, Clark asked, "Isn't Johnson one of the men you sent to scout."_

_When Dex nodded, I saw Clark shoot a concerned glance at the Marine colonel._

_Dex continued. "It's possible Johnson is being held captive. We lost three or possibly four men. I do not think another rescue attempt is warranted. I recommend an air strike against the camp so a clear message is sent that we will not yield to their hostage demands nor will we ignore the murders of our agents."_

_I looked at Dex and saw a side to him I'd never seen before. He assigned a statistical value to the lives of the hostages versus the potential lost lives of another rescue attempt. Some unemotional and detached part of his brain did the math and decided the hostage's lives were not worth the risk. I hoped that I would never get to a point where I could so easily bury my humanity. And in that moment, I knew that I could never be in love with him. I respected him as my officer, and I loved him as my friend. But never again would he be my lover._

_Director Clark mentioned Johnson and brought my thoughts back to our current situation. "We need him and the other two agents alive," Clark said._

_Dex knew better than to ask why. So he met Clark's eye and waited._

"_We believe Johnson as well as one of the kidnapped agents, Chapman, are working for the drug cartel," Clark said._

_I saw the color drain from Dex's face as Clark continued._

"_We need them brought back for questioning to find out who got to them."_

_Dex nodded. "We'll need marines this time."_

"_They're ready for your briefing," the colonel said. "Follow me."_

_We all stood, and Dex said, "I need one moment with agent Jordan, please."_

"_We will be in the conference room two doors down on the right," the colonel said as the others filed out of the room._

_Once the door shut behind them, Dex turned to me. "You're not going back," he said._

"_The hell I'm not!" _

"_You've barely slept or eaten in 36 hours. You're a liability."_

"_That's bullshit, and you know it!" I yelled at him._

"_I'm ordering you to go back to the barracks and get some rest. You're not part of this mission."_

"_Don't you dare pull rank on me. You look me in the eye and tell me that if it was Andrews standing here that you would order him back to the barracks."_

_He stared into my eyes, and then said softly, "I can't put you in the line of fire."_

"_And you can't let your personal feelings get in the way. I'm the best agent you've got, and I just watched those animals butcher my friends. If you pull rank, you'll force me to go to Clark and tell him that I can no longer report to you because your personal feelings for me are compromising your professional judgment."_

_His eyes darkened. "You wouldn't."_

_I met his eye and said, "Yes, I would because it's true."_

"_Damn it, Bella!"_

"_I guess that means I'm in?"_

_He turned and headed for the door and then stopped and looked at me again. "Your father warned me that you always get your way."_

_I smiled and followed him._

* * *

_Less than 24 hours later, I was hiking through the jungle two miles south of the cartel's camp. Two Marines were 100 yards to my left and another two were 50 yards to my right. _

_The sounds of a scream followed by a struggle sent me diving to the ground. I silenced my radio, listened intently and determined the sounds were coming from about forty feet directly in front of me. I crawled in that direction until I heard, _

"_Shut up you little cunt!" This was followed by the sound of a slap and muffled sobs. I inched closer and used the tip of my rifle to push the brush out of the way. What I saw turned my blood to ice. The traitor, Chapman, was on top of a young Hispanic girl. She was terrified and crying. His hand was over her mouth, and his other hand was unzipping his fly. _

_Adrenaline surged through me. I flew out of my hiding spot, cocked my gun and landed a kick against Chapman that broke at least two of his ribs and sent him flying off the girl. I heard the crunch of more ribs as my next kick landed on his chest._

"_You piece of shit!" I screamed at him. "First you betray all of us, and now you're raping a child! You're an animal." I smashed my boot into his groin, and he screamed in pain. "I ought to put a bullet in your head right now, but I don't want to deprive the rest of our team of their chance to kick the shit out of you."_

_At that moment, the girl screamed in pain. I turned to see her trying to stand on an ankle that was obviously broken. _

_In the next second, I saw Chapman reach toward his boot. As the glint of his knife caught the sunlight, I turned and fired; his chest exploded before the knife left his hand._

"_Piece of shit," I swore as I shook my head and ran toward the girl._

"_Yo le ayudaré." I said to her. (I will help you.)_

_She nodded and let me put my arm around her waist while she draped one arm over my shoulder. _

_Two of the marines burst through the brush with their guns drawn._

"_Stand down," I ordered._

_They lowered their guns._

_I turned to the girl and said, "_Que no te harán daño." (They will not hurt you.)

_She continued to look terrified, but nodded and tightened her grip on my shoulder._

"_I'm bringing her back to her camp," I told the marines._

"_Ma'am, we can't let you do that," the Lieutenant said._

"_I outrank you on this mission, Lieutenant, and I'm ordering you to rendez vous with the other two marines, contact Dex and tell him to level the camp if I don't radio him in an hour."_

_He started to say, "But …"_

_I cut him off. "I didn't ask for an opinion. That was an order."_

"_Yes, ma'am," he replied._

_I looked at my watch. "It is 14:00. Tell Dex that if he does not here from me by 15:00 to turn the camp into a crater."_

"_Yes, ma'am, and good luck."_

_I nodded, and the girl and I hobbled along a path for several hundred yards until two men approached us. When they saw me, they turned and ran back toward the camp, shouting and calling for help. A few minutes later, a group of armed guards raced toward us. I dropped my gun, but continued to hold the girl. _

_One of the men grabbed her, and she screamed at him, "No la duela! Ella me guardó!" (Do not hurt her! She saved me!)_

_I put my hands in the air, and they motioned for me to walk toward the camp. When we emerged inside the camp's borders, a group of men and women ran toward us. My Spanish wasn't good enough to catch everything that was being said, but I knew the girl was defending me. A man ran from one of the buildings, and the group parted to let him pass. He hugged the girl as she spoke to him between sobs. When she finished, he looked at me as if she had just told him I emerged from an alien spaceship. He asked one of the women to take care of the girl and then barked at the guards, "Sígame y tráigala." (Follow me, and bring her.)_

_The guards motioned for me to follow the man, which I did._

_We entered an office, and the man sat behind a desk, pointed to a chair and said to me in English, "Please sit down."_

_I sat in the chair he indicated._

"_My daughter tells me you saved her from being raped by that barbarian and that you helped her back here?"_

_I nodded._

"_Why would you do this?"_

"_Because a piece of shit like him is not worthy to call himself a human being. He was raping a child. He deserved to die like the scum that he was."_

"_But now you are our prisoner. You could have left my daughter there and continued your mission."_

"_I couldn't just leave her there. She was a child in pain with a broken ankle who had just suffered a horrible trauma and had seen me shoot her perpetrator. I would have been just as much a barbarian had I left her alone in that condition."_

_He stared at me for several moments and then said, "What is your name?"_

"_Jordan," I replied._

"_You are an American soldier?" He asked._

"_I am an American and British agent."_

"_You are attempting to rescue your comrades?"_

_I nodded._

"_Are there more soldiers nearby?" He asked._

"_You know I can't answer that," I replied._

_He smiled. "It was worth a try, sí?"_

_I returned his smile._

"_Agent Jordan, my daughter, Alessandra, is my only child. Her mother was killed several years ago. She is all I have. For this, I owe you 'deuda de vida,' or how do you say… life debt. My life is yours."_

"_Thank you, Señor…what should I call you?"_

"_You may call me Joe," he said with a smile._

"_Thank you Señor Joe. I have a favor to ask of you," I said with a smile._

"_Ah, let me guess. You want me to release the other two barbarians?"_

_I nodded._

"_Traiga a los rehenes aquí," he barked at one of the guards. (Bring the hostages here.)_

_A few minutes later, Johnson walked in looking fit, healthy and rested. However, the guards were dragging Carter who had obviously been beaten and starved. _

_I ran over to Carter and helped him into a chair. "Carter, it's Bella. Can you hear me?"_

_He looked up at me and tried to smile. _

"_I'm getting you out of here. Hang on a little longer."_

_He nodded._

_I walked up to Johnson and smashed my boot into his groin._

_He doubled over and fell to the floor._

_My next kick broke several ribs, and my final kick broke his nose._

"_Another piece of shit," I spit._

"_You could be a Latina with that temper," Joe said smiling._

"_I'll take that as a compliment," I replied. "Señor Joe, we will need to land a helicopter near here in order to get them out. And I need to contact my commanding officer in the next ten minutes or this camp is going to become a crater."_

_Joe barked, "Dar la espalda a su radio." _

_A guard handed me my radio; I contacted Dex and filled him in. _

"_Señor Joe, can you evacuate your people in one hour?" I asked._

_Joe argued that this was impossible._

"_Joe, I didn't ask you how long it would take to get the drugs and equipment out of here. Those are going to become part of the new landscape that the marines are planning for this site. I asked you how long it would take to get your people out."_

_We settled on 90 minutes. Sixty minutes later, our helicopter landed just outside the camp. A half dozen marines met me and escorted Johnson and Carter back to the chopper._

_I turned to Joe, and he shook my hand._

"_Thank you Agent Jordan for saving my daughter and allowing me to get my people to safety."_

"_You're welcome, Joe. Good luck, and maybe you could look into getting a better job and some real estate that is not so likely to be blown up?"_

_He smiled and nodded. _

_I turned and walked to the waiting chopper._

* * *

I opened my eyes, and Rob said, "Welcome back, beautiful," as he leaned down to kiss me.

I smiled and kissed him. "I need to talk to my father and Dex."

"We're right here, sweetheart," Dad said. "We had a feeling you'd want to see us."

"You brought me back because of Joe?" I asked as I sat up.

They nodded, and Dex said, "Bella, our intelligence reports that an extremist group out of Afghanistan is planning a major attack on London. One of the old Soviet nuclear warheads was stolen, and we believe they've acquired the uranium needed to activate the weapon."

"Oh my God," I gasped. "How does Joe fit in?"

"His real name is Jose Medina. He worked his way up through the Columbian cartels and eventually infiltrated the political organizations. He's currently the Columbian ambassador to the U.K.," Dex replied.

"You've got to be kidding," I said staring at him with disbelief.

"It's the perfect set up for him. He runs the Columbian operations from his office here and keeps a close watch on the drug distribution into the U.K. and the rest of Europe. He also has close ties to the terrorist organizations. They fund their activities with drug sales.

Bella, all of our Afghani information sources have dried up. As they get closer to implementing their plans, they're only sharing information through their oldest and most trusted allies. We brought you in because we believe Medina will cooperate with you and help us infiltrate the Afghani operations."

I nodded. "So we are left with one major unanswered question. Why did you wipe my memories?"

Dex and my father looked at each other. Dad took my hand, "You're almost done reintegrating your memories, Bella. I won't bullshit you. It won't be easy, but you need to know everything."


	8. Chapter 8 Dressed To Kill

**BPOV**

I nodded and squeezed his hand. "Go take a break, honey," Dad said. "Paula is in your suite with Kate. She should wake up soon."

I stood up and reached for Rob's hand.

"You'll need your cast if we're going to see Kate," he said.

"I really need a walk. Let's tell her I'm better. I'll just limp a little," I said.

He smiled and put his arm around me, and we walked to our suite. We thanked Paula and checked on Kate who was still asleep.

"She's apparently exhausted from all of the fits she's been throwing while we were gone," he said.

As I watched Kate sleeping, I thought of Joe's daughter and was suddenly overwhelmed with what I was tasked to do. I turned and ran out of the room and fell onto the sofa as sobs wracked my body. I felt Rob's arms around me, and I buried my head against his chest. He didn't say anything; he just held me, and let me cry it out.

"I … can't … do … this," I said between sobs. "I didn't want to be a spy to begin with! Now they want me to save an entire city! I can't!"

Rob let me rant and cry until there were no more words or tears.

"I got your shirt all wet," I sniffed.

"I didn't really like this color anyway," he said smiling. He put his hand on my cheek. "Bella, your father told me how you saved that girl, ordered marines to stand down, and then marched into the middle of a Columbian drug cartel's encampment with her even after seeing how they had slaughtered your friends. He said that story is a legend, and you are one of the most respected agents in the history of MI6. They would not have gone to all this trouble unless they thought you could handle it."

I only sniffed in reply.

"You know, one of my favorite quotes is applicable right now."

I looked at him and raised an eyebrow expecting to hear him spout Shakespeare. Instead, he said,

"Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

"Who said that?" I asked.

"Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh."

I burst out laughing.

"Mommy! What's so funny?" Kate said as she jumped onto my lap.

"Hello, sleepy head! Daddy just said something that made me laugh."

"Mommy, where's your cast? Are you all better?"

"I am better!" I said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Then why were you crying?" She asked.

"Because I have to stay here a little longer, and I miss being at home with you and your brothers and sister."

"Oh, we were all sad, Mommy. We miss you too."

She gave me a hug and in the ten seconds she was willing to sit still and let me cuddle her, all of my fears melted. _There are hundreds of thousands of precious children like Kate, Jordan, David and Stephenie in London. I have to do what I can to keep them safe, _I thought_._

We spent the afternoon with Kate. It was very rare that she had the undivided attention of both her parents, so she was beyond happy and an absolute joy. Spending time with her playing Go Fish and Barbies was exactly what I needed. The highlight of the day was watching Rob read _Peter Pan_ to her. She squealed with delight as he used different voices to bring the various characters to life; it was obvious that he enjoyed performing for her as much as she enjoyed listening to him.

My Dad joined us for dinner, then I gave Kate a bath, and Rob and I tucked her in. Once she was sound asleep, Rob walked me back to the lab while Dad stayed in the suite with Kate.

Paula had the next shot ready and waiting.

I climbed onto the bed and was suddenly overcome with dread. Rob saw the fear in my face and put his hand on my cheek.

"I'll be right here the entire time. It will be OK. I love you."

He wiped away the tear that rolled down my cheek and pulled me into his arms.

"Do you want me to hold you like this while she gives you the shot?" He asked.

I nodded, and felt the needle prick my arm.

* * *

_I walked out the front door of my parent's house as Dex pulled up. He stepped out of his car, hugged me and then leaned down to kiss me. I turned my head so he missed my lips and kissed my cheek. _

"_Oh, so is this how it's going to be?" He asked. "Are we pretending nothing happened between us?"_

_I stared at the ground until he lifted my chin with his finger so I had to meet his eye._

"_Dex, I …"_

"_I know," he said. "It shouldn't have happened."_

"_No, that's not how I feel. I don't regret making love to you," I said, and put my hand on his cheek. _

_He put his hand over mine. "But …?" He asked._

"_Dex, I'm not in love with you. I respect you and love you as a friend, but I can't be your lover."_

_He nodded. "I know that, Bella. I also know there is someone out there waiting for you. You are far too extraordinary for anything else to be true."_

"_Thank you for understanding." I kissed his cheek._

_He smiled and said, "Come on. We have work to do."_

_We walked to one of the conference rooms, and he connected his laptop to a projector. An image of an MI6 agent appeared on the view screen. He was an attractive dark haired man who looked a few years older than me._

"_Bella, this is Edward Culklen. He's with the CIA and has been in deep cover for nearly two years. He infiltrated one of the L.A. based drug operations and has risen within the ranks to where he is dealing directly with several South American contacts, including your friend Joe. _

_We interrogated Johnson, and he said Culklen is the one who turned him. He claimed that Culklen wants to continue living the lavish and powerful lifestyle of a drug lord instead of a government agent." _

_Dex looked at the picture of Culklen. "I want youto get close to him and find out if he's ..."_

"_Turned to the dark side?" I asked._

"_Exactly," he replied. "Your father has already 'run into' Culklen at a few of the hotspots here in L.A. and planted the idea that he would be interested in keeping the clientele at the Cielo well supplied. There's a movie premier party tonight that Culklen's expected to attend. You'll go with your father, and he'll introduce you."_

* * *

_I was dressed to kill both literally and figuratively. I walked into the 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' premier party with my father and saw several pairs of male eyes linger on the 'slit to there' skirt that showcased my legs. _

"_I'll see you later," I whispered to Dad. "Hanging with my father is going to cramp my style."_

_He kissed my cheek. "Please be careful."_

_I smiled and walked toward the bar, stopping along the way to chat with some familiar faces. _

"_Can I get you a drink?" I heard a charming British voice whisper in my ear._

_I turned and caught my breath. I was looking into the astonishingly gorgeous eyes of the 'jail bait' actor I had met on the 'Goblet of Fire' set._

"_I met you on the set, didn't I?" I asked him._

"_You certainly look familiar," he said. "Were you an extra?"_

"_You asked me that the first time we met," I said._

"_And you replied…?"_

"_No, I wasn't an extra. I was on the set visiting a friend."_

"_Are you here with your friend now?" He asked._

"_No, I'm here with my father."_

_He raised an eyebrow. Obviously that was a new one. He wasn't used to contending with the fathers of the girls he was hitting on._

_I pointed to my Dad._

"_Your father is Barry Jordan?" He asked with surprise._

_I smiled and nodded. _

"_So that means you are Bella?" He asked._

"_Right and I believe you are Rob?" I said holding out my hand._

"_Yes, I'm flattered you remember," he said. He shook my hand but didn't let go. "Do you want to dance?"_

_I nodded, and we walked onto the dance floor._

_As I swayed and spun with the music, I kept my eye out for Culklen. I spotted him at a table on the edge of the dance floor and decided I needed to get his attention. I kicked it into high gear and pulled out every trick I'd learned from watching the choreographers who directed my brother's videos. Rob's eyes were riveted on my body. When I spun around with my back to him, he grabbed me around the waist and pulled my hips into his. I could feel how turned on he was._

"_You are, without a doubt, the sexiest woman I have ever seen," he said into my ear._

_I turned around and ran my hand over his wildly intoxicating scruffy beard. "You're not so bad, either," I said smiling. _

"_Can we get out of here?" He asked._

_I smiled. "Couldn't I end up in jail for having sex with you?" I asked._

"_Definitely not. I'm eighteen," he replied. "Besides, I would never press charges," he said as he ran his lips along my neck. _

_Shit! I thought. Why did I have to meet him tonight? _

"_Your offer is very appealing, believe me," I said, running my finger down his chest, "but I promised my father I would help him land a deal. There's someone here I have to meet. I'm sorry. I hope we can get to know each other much better…," I paused and ran my finger along his lips and looked into his eyes, "some other time." _

_The song changed, and I moved out of Rob's grasp. "Thank you for the dance, Rob." _

"_Wait!" He said as he grabbed my hand. "Can I call you?" _

"_Sure," I pulled a card out of my bag and handed it to him. "I live at the Cielo."_

_He took my card and then kissed my hand. "It was most definitely a pleasure to meet you…again, Bella."_

"_Likewise, Rob."_

_I reluctantly turned my back to him and walked toward Culklen, whose eyes were glued to my legs._

_Good, I thought. I walked up to him and extended my hand. "Mr. Culklen?" I asked._

_He stood up and took my hand. "Yes, and who are you beautiful lady?"_

"_I believe you know my father, Barry Jordan?" _

_He nodded. "Yes, of course. So you are Bella?"_

"_Yes, it's nice to meet you," I said with a dazzling smile._

"_Who were you dancing with just now?" Culklen asked. "He's still watching you."_

_I looked over my shoulder at Rob and waved. He smiled, realizing he'd been caught, waved back, and turned toward the bar._

"_Just a horny kid who asked me to dance. He's too young for me. I like men who are a little more…experienced," I said as I looked into his eyes._

_I saw him swallow hard._

"_Can I get you a drink?" He asked._

"_I'd love a Perrier," I replied._

"_No alcohol?" He asked._

"_Alcohol has so many calories. I have to be careful if I'm going to dress to kill," I laughed._

_His eyes slowly made their way from my form fitting black lace top, down my gartered hose and lingered on my stilettos._

"_You certainly are that," he said._

_I smiled, and we sat down. He motioned for a waiter and ordered a scotch for himself and a Perrier for me._

"_Your father tells me that there may be an opportunity for us to do business?"_

"_Our resort is known for its ability to fulfill any desire that our rich, famous and spoiled clients can dream up. Obviously, some of our patrons request the products in which you specialize. We need a supplier that we can trust and depend on," I said, as I ran my finger along his arm. I saw goose bumps appear on his skin and smiled._

"_I'm quite sure that we can keep you well supplied, and arrange our transactions so your clients' privacy is fully respected."_

"_That's what we wanted to hear, Mr. Culklen."_

"_Please, call me Edward," he said with a smile._

"_So, Edward, should I call you tomorrow to arrange a meeting? You could visit the Cielo and experience the kind of hospitality that only the world's finest resort can provide."_

"_I hope you are part of the hospitality committee," he said as he raised my fingers to his lips and kissed my hand._

"_As I said, Edward, we fulfill all the dreams and desires of our clients."_

"_Then I look forward to your call," he said._

_I stood up and said, "Until then. It was a pleasure."_

"_I assure you, the pleasure was all mine, Bella."_

_I felt his eyes piercing my back as I walked away._

_I circled to the other side of the dance floor and sent a text to my father telling him we could leave. We were scheduled to meet with Dex and strategize based on how tonight went. As I was waiting for a reply, I heard a somewhat slurred voice say, _

"_Are you done with your business for the evening?"_

_I turned around, and Rob was standing there. _

"_What have you been doing?" I asked. "You sound a little buzzed."_

"_The guys from the cast are having a shot contest."_

_I looked at the bar, and sure enough, all of the male cast members were lined up with shots of tequila._

"_Oh, boy. Have you done tequila before?"_

_He shook his head._

"_You are really going to regret this tomorrow," I said, shaking my head. "You ought to quit while you're ahead."_

"_I'll quit if you'll leave with me," he said smiling._

"_I already told you I can't tonight."_

"_Oh well, then I guess I'll go drown my frustrations. Bye Bella." He turned and went back to the bar. _

* * *

I opened my eyes. Rob was curled up next to me asleep. I smiled and ran my hand along that same wildly intoxicating beard I remembered admiring at the premier party. He opened his eyes.

"Hi," he said as he yawned.

"Hi gorgeous," I said and kissed him. "You never called me," I said.

He looked at me with a puzzled expression. "What are you talking about?"

"We met again at the 'Goblet of Fire' premier party. You asked me to dance, and you were quite turned on. You wanted me to leave with you, but I was there on 'spy business,' so I couldn't. You said you would call me, but I don't remember that you ever did."

"Oh God, please don't ever mention that party again," he groaned.

"Let me guess," I said. "You spent the night doing shots of tequila and the next day, you were so hung over that you prayed to die. And now you still don't remember anything from that night because all the alcohol killed too many brain cells."

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," he said.

"You were an idiot. I even warned you."

"Yeah, I _was_ an idiot. I've never touched tequila again!"

"I gave you my card. You never wondered what my business card was doing in your wallet?"

"I was so shit-faced someone stole my wallet that night. After I replaced everything, it was eventually mailed back to me with the cash missing. I wonder …"

Dr. Coleman walked in and interrupted our conversation. He looked at the computer monitor and then at me. His disdain was palpable.

Rob and I sat up. "Should I go back to our room and sleep now?" I asked him.

He glared at me and shot a disparaging look at Rob. "If that's what you call it, fine," he sneered.

I jumped off the table and stood within inches of his face. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, backing away in alarm.

"You've shown nothing but contempt for me ever since I walked in here. I want to know why."

He opened his mouth to talk when Dex walked in and said, "Shut the fuck up, Coleman and get out of here."

Coleman glared at Dex and stormed out of the room.

I looked at Dex. "Well?"

"He's pissed because I made him restore your memories. His method was supposed to permanently erase memories, and that's how he sold it to the CIA and got funding. But when we realized we needed you back, I paid him a visit and got him talking. He slipped up and told me it was possible to restore memories. At that point, I told him if he didn't cooperate and help us get your memories back, he'd never get another dollar of funding again."

"Ah, so at least it isn't personal," I said.

"Nope, go get some rest. Tomorrow you can hopefully break out of here."

"Really?" I said.

"Really. We're almost done."

"Thank God!" I looked at Rob. "I can't wait to go home. I miss the other kids so much it hurts!"

Rob smiled, kissed me and said, "Me too."

I turned to tell Dex goodnight and saw a longing in his eyes that filled me with sadness. I walked up and took his hand. "You could do what I did, Dex. You could walk away and choose a normal life. You could find your soul mate and make beautiful babies with her."

He smiled and said, "Maybe I'll do that … right after we save London."

"Goodnight Dex." I kissed his cheek, turned and took Rob's hand.

"Can we go for a walk?" I asked him. "I need some air."

He nodded and put his arm around me.

I sensed Rob's 'dark side' emerging as we walked along the path that led to the river.

"Come on. Dex is a good guy. Get over it already."

"I'm trying, but he's still in love with you. It's kind of tough to be hanging around a guy who is dying to fuck your wife. How would you feel if the situation were reversed?"

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to stare at him. "You have GOT to be kidding me?"

"What?" He asked.

"How would I feel? Rob! Nine out of ten women we run into who are over the age of 12 and under the age of 80 want to fuck you! I've lived with that every day since I first met you. Are you kidding me? Come on!"

"That's hardly the same thing," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Right. I have to deal with the fact that literally MILLIONS of women on this planet would sell their soul for a night with you, yet you can't get over Dex? Give me a break!"

"Bella, those fans want the fantasy image that my publicists have created. It's not real; they don't know me, and I don't know them. Dex knows you; he's real, and you fucked him."

Before I knew what was happening, I heard a loud smack, and felt a sting as my hand connected with Rob's face.

He looked at me, stunned, and then turned and walked away.

I watched him walk into the building through the door near our suite, and then I followed the path back to the lab.

Dex and Coleman were talking when I walked in. They stopped and looked at me.

"Give me the next shot. I want to get this over with."

Coleman started to say, "It's too …"

"I said give it to me," I snarled as I climbed onto the bed and rolled up my sleeve.

He nodded and went to get the syringe.

Dex walked over to the bed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I snapped.

"Yeah, that's obvious," he chuckled.

"Fine! I just slapped my husband because he was being a jerk."

He was silent for a minute, and then said, "Did this happen to have something to do with me?" He asked.

"Actually, it did. He fucked probably a thousand women before he met me, and now he can't get over the fact that you and I …" I trailed off with an exasperated sigh.

"But those other women aren't here right now, obviously still in love with your husband."

"There are MILLIONS of women in love with my husband. You sound like him!"

"Those millions of women didn't spend two years with him in sometimes life threatening situations, either."

"Why are you defending him?" I yelled.

"Because if I were in his shoes, and had somehow been lucky enough to marry the world's most beautiful and amazing woman, I would be jealous as hell of any man who came within a mile of her. I would be extremely jealous of a man who was constantly hanging around her at a time when she was emotionally vulnerable, who apparently knows more about a time in her life than she does and which I knew nothing about until a few days ago. And then I would be out of my mind with jealousy when I found out that this man had not only made love to my wife at one time, but was still in love with her. Actually, given all that, I'd say your husband has behaved incredibly well."

"Thank you, Dex," I heard come from the doorway.

Dex looked at Rob, nodded and said, "You're welcome." He turned back to me. "Coleman could give you the next shot now, but your mind will integrate it more quickly and easily if you get a good night's sleep first. So think about it. Goodnight." He turned toward the door. Rob stepped aside to let him pass.

"Can I come in?" Rob asked.

I nodded.

"I'm sorry," we both said at the same time.

I reached up to touch his cheek where I had slapped him. "I'm so sorry. I can't believe I hit this perfect face."

He took my hand and kissed my palm. "And I can't believe I talked to you as if you were currently having an affair with him. What I said was totally uncalled for. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

I kissed him. "I most definitely forgive you. I love you. Let's go have make up sex."

He laughed. "Great idea."

It took us awhile to work our way back to the suite. Every few steps, we stopped and kissed. Each interlude became more heated until Rob took my hand and started to run down the hallway toward our room.

We walked into our darkened suite, and I heard my father's gentle snores coming from Kate's room. We peered in, and Dad was propped up, sitting with his back against Kate's headboard, sound asleep.

I smiled, quietly planted a kiss on his forehead and whispered, "Dad, wake up."

His eyes opened and darted around in confusion. When he focused on me, he said, "Oh," and stood up.

I followed him into the living room and gave him a hug. "Thanks, Dad. Goodnight."

"Night," he mumbled as he made his way to the door. "And keep it down in here."

"Will do, Dad," I said with a smile.

I turned around expecting to be attacked with kisses from my husband, but he wasn't there. I stopped when I got to our bedroom doorway and stared at the Sexiest Man Alive who was naked on our bed and running his hand along his very hard cock.

"You're starting without me?" I asked.

"Mmhmm," he said.

I stood next to him and slowly stripped off my clothes as I watched his hand continue to move up and down his length.

"I wonder," I said, as I moved my fingers between my legs, "which one of us can hold out the longest and not touch the other?"

"No contest!" He said as he grabbed me and pulled me onto the bed. He rolled on top of me. "You win, and here's your prize," he said as he slid inside of me.

* * *

While we were having breakfast with Kate and my father the next morning, I told her,

"Sweetie, Grandma Kelly will be here soon to bring you home, but Daddy and I will be back tonight. Can you behave for her, Grandmum and Granddad today?"

"Yes, Mommy. Do you promise you'll be home tonight?"

"I promise, sweetie." I pulled her onto my lap and kissed her cheek.

She kissed me back, climbed off of my lap and climbed onto Rob's lap to give him a kiss.

"Bye, Daddy."

"Bye, sweetheart. I'll see you later."

She solemnly climbed off his lap and looked at my Dad. "OK, Grandpa. Let's go meet Grandma Kelly. I'll try to be good."

"I know you will, Kate," Dad said as he swept her into his arms. "I'll see you when you wake up," Dad whispered as he kissed my cheek.

After they left, we returned to the lab for the final shot.

When we walked in, Dex and Coleman were waiting for us.

I silently climbed onto the bed as I saw Coleman preparing the injection. I looked at Rob. "Hold me?"

He was instantly at my side and pulled me into his arms. I felt Coleman push my sleeve up, followed by the stick.


	9. Chapter 9 Diamonds Are Forever

_Edward met my father and me at the Cielo a few days later. We arranged to purchase various drugs, which would be delivered with our floral arrangements on an as needed basis. My father set up an offshore account to pay for the transactions._

_Once we had settled our business deal, my father excused himself, and I offered to show Edward around the resort._

_It was a perfect surfing day, and as we stood on the deck overlooking the water, we saw a few surfers catch a ride._

"_I wish I were out there," Edward said._

"_You surf?" I asked._

"_I try," he replied._

"_Well, then, let's go," I said. "I'll call the front desk and have them bring a wet suit down to the pool house for you."_

"_Really?" He asked._

"_I already told you, we specialize in fulfilling our guests' desires," I said with a smile. "I'll meet you on the beach."_

_I called the resort's sports center and told them to bring my board and another down to the beach, and then I changed into my wetsuit and went to meet Edward._

_He was much better than he gave himself credit for. We both caught several perfect rides, and for a while, I forgot that I was supposed to be finding out if this man was a traitor. Watching him laugh with exhilaration as we fell onto the beach after our last ride, I found it impossible to imagine that he was responsible for the deaths of my friends._

_We were lying side by side on a huge beach towel, trying to catch our breath._

"_That was the most fun I've had in years," he said._

"_I'm so glad you enjoyed it. You picked the ideal surfing day to visit."_

_He rolled onto his elbow and looked at me. "The waves were great, but sharing it with you made it that much more enjoyable. Thank you, Bella."_

_I smiled. "You're so welcome, Edward."_

"_I don't want this day to end. Will you have dinner with me?" He asked._

"_I'd love to. Would you like to stay here? We can eat at one of the outdoor tables that overlooks the ocean up at the main house."_

"_There's no more beautiful place on earth to enjoy a meal, and no one more beautiful to enjoy it with," he replied._

_We chatted and laughed with ease throughout dinner and then strolled along the beach by moonlight. When he reached for my hand, it felt so natural, as if my hand belonged in his. When we returned to the path that led to the house, Edward looked at his watch._

"_I can't believe its midnight already. I don't want to overstay my welcome, Bella. I should get going."_

"_I'll walk you to your car," I said._

_When we stopped near his car, he turned to face me and took both my hands in his. "Thank you for the best day I can remember in a very long time," he said._

"_I hope we can do it again, soon, Edward."_

"_Me too." He gave me a gentle kiss on the lips, stepped into his car and drove away._

_As I watched him leave, I realized I felt like a teenager with a crush. Snap out of it, Jordan! I yelled at myself. You have a job to do. Stay objective. I realized that the objective part was certainly going to be a challenge._

_Over the next few weeks, Edward and I became inseparable. His business required him to be at a continuous stream of parties, concerts and events to make sure that his contacts and clients were happy. He invited me to attend with him, and I accepted almost every invitation. At the end of every evening, he drove me home, walked me to the door, gave me a quick kiss, and left. He had yet to invite me to his home or office; he was keeping me at a distance, and I decided that needed to change._

_Tonight we were at the grand opening of a new club. The dance floor was packed, so my body was pressed against his as we swayed to the music. When a slow song began, he pulled me into his arms, and I felt how turned on he was. Our eyes locked, and he bent his head to kiss me. I expected another quick kiss, but this time, his lips lingered, and his tongue pushed its way into my mouth. I moaned softly and circled my tongue around his. When the song ended, he pulled away and smiled. I put my lips next to his ear and said,_

"_I was wondering when you were going to do that."_

_He grabbed my hand and led me through the crowds, out the back door and into an alley. He pushed me against the wall and crushed his lips to mine. We made out while our hands wildly explored each other's bodies. He ran his lips up my neck and said,_

"_I have wanted to kiss you like this from the second I laid eyes on you, but my business…" _

_He trailed off as his lips found mine again. When he broke away to kiss the other side of my neck, I asked,_

"_What about your business?"_

_He stopped kissing me and looked into my eyes. "I'm afraid you'll get hurt. I deal with some very unpleasant people who wouldn't hesitate to use you if they thought that would get to me."_

_I smiled and said, "I know how to take care of myself."_

"_No, Bella, you don't. You have no idea what these people are capable of. I haven't allowed myself to get close to anyone in years. But I can't stay away from you any longer."_

"_Then don't," I said and pulled his neck toward me so our lips met again. When I ran my hand over his bulging crotch, he moaned, pulled away from our kiss and called his driver. He ended the call, and we continued to make out until his car appeared in the alley._

_We slid into the backseat, and he immediately pulled my lips to his again. When he started to run his hand up the inside of my thighs, I gasped and said,_

"_Wait, not here."_

"_Why?" He asked._

"_I don't want the first time we make love to be in the back of a car like we're sixteen. Can we go to your house?"_

_He lowered the divider and told the driver to go to his home. When he raised the divider, he turned to me, put his hand on my cheek and said, "This is so wrong. I'm being incredibly selfish. I'm putting you in danger."_

"_I don't care," I said and pulled his lips back to mine._

_We arrived at his house and had to refrain from running from the car to the front door. The moment it shut behind us, our mouths and tongues met as we tore, pushed and pulled at each other's clothes. He grabbed my skit and pushed it up and over my hips and then ripped off my thong before he buried his tongue inside me. His fingers expertly worked my body until I gasped and buried my hands in his hair as I moaned in release. His kissed his way back up my body, and when his lips found mine again, he picked me up and carried me to his bedroom without ever breaking our kiss. _

_When he set me down, he rid me of the rest of my clothes, shrugged off his shirt and stepped out of his pants. He crawled on top of me and started to devour my breasts. _

"_God, Bella, you are perfect."_

_I reached for him, "I want you, Edward. Please make love to me now; I can't wait any longer."_

_Just as he was about to enter me, he paused and looked at me._

"_Birth control?" He asked._

"_The pill," I gasped. "Healthy?" I asked._

"_Very," he said as he slid into me._

_I completely ignored the part of my mind that was screaming, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING? HE COULD BE A TRAITOR." This was too right. I hadn't ever felt like this before. I never wanted this passion to stop. We moaned and writhed and rolled from one end of the bed to the other. We came together while he was on top of me and paused just long enough to catch our breaths before the passion reignited, and our lips were caressing every inch of each other's bodies. It wasn't long before I was straddling his hips and guiding him into me again. I grabbed my breasts and circled my nipples with my fingertips while his fingers found my clit. In just moments, I threw my head back and cried out as he brought me to one climax after another. I finally leaned over him, and kissed him fiercely. _

"_Come for me. I want to watch your face when you explode inside of me."_

_He threw his head back and cried out as his hips arched into mine. His body slowly relaxed, and he gradually opened his eyes and smiled. _

_I kissed him deeply for several minutes. When I leaned back and looked into his eyes, all I could say was, "Wow."_

_He laughed. "Wow, doesn't even come close."_

_I slid off of him, and he pulled me into his arms. _

"_That was other worldly. You are amazing, sexy, beautiful … I can't get enough of you." He kissed me and then looked into my eyes. "Bella, I'm falling in love with you."_

_I ran my hand along his cheek. "I'm not falling in love with you. I am already head over heels in love with you."_

_He smiled and kissed me deeply, and then it started all over again._

_I woke up the next morning consumed with guilt. I am spying on the man I am in love with, I thought. My mind raced back and forth between the images of making love to Edward, and the look of terror on Kyle's face right before it was blown away from his body. _

_I rolled onto my side and watched him sleeping peacefully. He's not guilty! I told myself, and I'm going to prove it._

_He opened his eyes and smiled._

"_Good morning," I said as I kissed him._

"_Mmm, it definitely is," he murmured._

_We spent several luxurious moments allowing our mouths and tongues to get reacquainted, and then he rolled on top of me and our bodies came together once again. Our lovemaking was slow and gentle compared to the frenzied passion of last night. He stared into my eyes adoringly until I threw my head back and moaned as the exquisite pleasure surged through my body. A moment later, he plunged deep within me, buried his mouth in my hair and gasped, "God! You feel so good!"_

_We held each other while our breathing returned to normal. As he leaned down to kiss me, his stomach growled loudly, and we both burst out laughing. _

"_All that exercise made me hungry," he chuckled. "Would you like some breakfast?"_

"_I'm not very hungry when I first wake up…at least not for food," I said coyly as I ran my finger over his lips. "But I would love some coffee."_

"_Alright! Coffee it is. Do you mind if I grab a quick shower before I get the coffee ready?" He asked._

"_Of course not," I smiled. "Do you want me to get it?"_

"_No. You are always taking care of guests. I want you to be my guest. Just stay right here, and don't move."_

"_I can handle that," I said as I pulled the covers over me and snuggled into the pillows._

_He kissed my forehead and headed to the bathroom._

_The moment I heard the shower start, I jumped up and grabbed my bag. I pulled out my phone and a USB cable and grabbed his phone from his jacket. I quickly loaded an encrypted and undetectable program onto his phone that would allow the CIA to monitor all of the calls and messages from this device. I replaced his phone, threw my phone and the cable back in my bag and pulled out a pen. I ran into his office, smiled when I saw his laptop sitting on a desk, and put the pen in the back of a desk drawer. This particular pen would capture all incoming and outgoing wireless transmissions. I heard the water stop running, ran back to the bedroom and leapt into bed. God, I'm good, I laughed inwardly._

_It turned out there was no need for me to rush around because I started to spend every night at Edward's house. With each time that we made love, and every morning I awoke in his arms, I fell further in love with him and became more determined to prove his innocence. _

_I found myself longing to be with him when he had to travel. He refused to allow me to accompany him, arguing that it was far too dangerous. _

_This morning, as we sipped our coffee while sitting naked in bed, he said,_

"_Love, I have to leave for a business trip tomorrow, and I'll be gone for a few days this time."_

_I looked at him and pouted. "I hate it when you're gone."_

"_I know, and I hate being away from you," he replied as he kissed me._

"_Where are you going?" I asked._

"_Columbia."_

_The hair on the back of my neck stood up. He must have sensed my sudden tension because he asked,_

"_What's wrong?"_

"_Isn't Columbia really dangerous?" I asked._

"_Love, everything I do is dangerous. It's part of the job."_

"_Edward, please don't go." I pleaded._

"_Bella, I'll only be gone for a few days."_

_I was silent as I stared at my coffee cup._

"_What is it, Love?"_

"_Quit," I said._

"_What?" He asked._

"_Quit the business," I replied. _

_He looked at me, dumbfounded._

_I took his coffee cup and set both mine and his on the bedside table, then I climbed onto his lap and looked into his eyes._

"_I can't lose you. I'm deeply in love with you, Edward. Your business is too dangerous. Please, just quit."_

_He put his hands on my cheeks and pulled my face toward his as he kissed me gently._

"_I love you so much," he said. "And I wish I could just quit, especially since I'm putting you in danger. But I'm in too deep now. I know too much, and if I tried to get out, there are at least a hundred people out there who would hunt me down."_

"_There has to be a way."_

"_I'm sorry, Bella. There's not. And as agonizing at it would be for me to let you go, you should leave me and move on. Find someone who has a normal life and can keep you safe."_

"_You are my life, Edward. I can't live without you," I said as I buried my hands in his hair and crushed my lips against his. _

_He moaned and rolled on top of me. "This is so wrong, but I'm too weak to leave you."_

"_Don't ever leave me," I said and pulled his lips back to mine._

_Later that morning, I called Dex._

"_He's going to see your friend, Joe," Dex said._

"_Then I'll go in after him. Can you make the arrangements?"_

"_I'll set it up," he replied._

_That evening, while Edward and I were spending an unusual quiet night at home, I said to him, "Do you know what tonight is?"_

"_Hmm, it's Thursday?" He asked with a smile._

"_Well, yes it is," I smiled. "But in addition to that, it was three months ago tonight that we met, and I have a present for you." I handed him a gift bag._

"_Well, it just so happens that I have a present for you too," he said. We were seated in the living room; he opened a drawer in the coffee table, pulled out a long velvet box and handed it to me._

"_Thank you," I said. "Open yours first."_

_He open the box and smiled. "My first Bvlgari. This is exquisite, Bella." He turned over the watch and read the inscription, "To Edward, With Love, Bella."_

_I took it from his hand. "This watch is unique. I had it made for you," I said as I flipped open the casing to reveal a picture of me on the inside." _

"_Bella, I love it. Now I can always carry you with me." He slipped it on his wrist. _

_What I didn't mention was that although I did have it made for him, the watch makers were MI6 agents. A tracking and listening device were embedded inside the watch works._

"_Now it's your turn," he said. I picked up the box which I had set on the sofa next to me, and opened the lid. I gasped. "Edward, this is spectacular!" I held up a stunning diamond pendant that was elegantly set and hung on a silver chain. _

_After he clasped it, he brushed his lips along my neck and whispered,_

"_It's not a ring…yet, but at least it's a diamond."_

"_Yet?" I asked._

_He turned me so I was facing him and gently kissed me. _

"_I thought about what you said. There has to be a way I can get out. I want to marry you, Bella, but I can't do that if it means putting your life in danger."_

_I stared into his eyes, made a decision, and took a deep breath. "Edward, in the time that we've been together, have you ever seen me take a sip of alcohol?"_

_He looked puzzled and shook his head. "Why are you bringing this up now?" _

"_Bear with me," I replied. _

_He nodded._

"_Didn't that strike you as odd?" I asked him._

"_I assumed you are like a lot of women and worried about gaining weight. That's what you told me the night I met you."_

"_But you've seen me eat French fries and ice cream," I said._

"_Yes, so are you telling me you're an alcoholic?"_

"_Not exactly. I'm a recovering drug addict."_

_He couldn't have looked more shocked if I'd told him I was formerly a man who'd had a sex change operation._

_After a very pregnant pause, he said, "You're an addict, yet you and your father sought me out to supply your clients?"_

_I looked at him, and tears filled my eyes. He reached to wipe one away._

"_It's OK," he said. "I don't care."_

_I shook my head. "That's not it. None of the guests at the Cielo have ever seen the drugs you supply."_

_His brow wrinkled showing his confusion. "Why?" He asked._

"_We didn't seek you out to buy drugs."_

"_Bella, I don't understand."_

"_We sought you out because you were suspected of corruption."_

_He stared at me, and the color drained from his face._

"_Who are you?" His voice was filled with venom._

"_Please," I said, as I reached to touch his cheek._

_He pushed my hand away and stood up. "Don't touch me. Who the fuck are you?"_

"_I'm MI6, and so is my father."_

_He picked up his wine glass, and threw it against the wall. As it shattered, he screamed, "I am so Goddamned blind!"_

_I walked over to him, "Edward, please…"_

_He grabbed the necklace he had given me and pulled it from my neck. "I was in love with you," he yelled as he threw the necklace. "I wanted to marry you, and you lied to me!" _

_I just stood there watching him as tears streamed down my cheeks. _

_He glared at me and hissed, "Get out of my sight."_

_I gasped, as a sob escaped my grief stricken lungs. I picked up my bag and reluctantly started toward the door. As I passed him, he grabbed my arm and jerked me around to face him._

"_Why now?" He asked._

_I looked at him questioningly._

"_Why did you tell me now?_

"_Because you said you wouldn't marry me until I wasn't in danger. I … " I paused as another sob escaped from my lips. "I wanted you to know so we could work on a plan to get out … together."_

_He let go of my arm and stared at me. I could see the struggle behind his eyes. He didn't know what to believe._

"_Edward, I was following orders the first night I met you. But shortly after that, I was following my heart. I was determined to prove you were innocent. I meant it when I told you I loved you. Please believe me. Why else would I have told you I'm a spy?"_

"_What do they think I did?" He asked._

"_You're familiar with the agents who were kidnapped by Medina?"_

_He nodded. "Agents were killed trying to rescue them, right?" _

"_Yes, I was there."_

"_What?"_

"_I was part of the group that went in to rescue them. Our commander sent two men ahead to scout the camp's location. They led Medina's men back to our camp and butchered two of our men. I only survived because I walked away to go to the bathroom, and my commanding officer followed me. I heard gunshots and ran back to help them, and my commander tackled me and said they would only kill me too. I watched my friends die."_

_The tears were streaming down my face again. He reached for me and pulled me into a hug. The relief I felt that he was holding me again made me cry harder._

"_They think I have something to do with their deaths?" He asked._

"_The CIA head of operations in Columbia told us that one of the agents who was sent to scout was suspected of corruption. He ordered us to go back in and bring him out alive for questioning." I told him the whole story and that Johnson had accused him of wanting to make his drug lord cover a permanent lifestyle._

"_Edward, I told you who I was because my connection to Medina can prove you are innocent. He'll tell us who really turned Johnson into a traitor."_

_He put his hand on my cheek. "You don't doubt me at all?" He asked._

_I shook my head, and tears filled my eyes. "One of the reasons I'm a double-O…"_

"_You're a double-O?" He gasped in surprise._

_I smiled and nodded. "They don't make someone a double-O just because they happen to be good at using deadly force. We also have razor sharp instincts." I put my hand on top of his hand. "You're a good man. I can feel it. It's why I love you."_

_He leaned his forehead against mine. "I'm so sorry I freaked out. Finding out, not only that you were a spy, but that they think I'm responsible for the deaths of other agents…God!"_

"_I know. But we'll prove you are innocent."_

"_And then?" He asked._

"_And then, we'll get married," I said smiling at him._

"_Was that a proposal, Ms. Jordan?"_

_I laughed. "Yes, I guess it was."_

"_Oh no you don't!"_

_He stood up, picked up my necklace from where it had landed and placed it in my hand._

"_Bella, please accept this temporary substitute because I intend to get you a spectacular engagement ring, but would you please marry me."_

"_Yes, I would love nothing more than to marry you," I said just before his lips crushed mine._

_The following day we were sitting across from Joe in a hotel suite in Bogotá. _

"_Joe, you told me you would never deny any request I made of you," I said._

"_This is true," he replied. "I keep my word."_

"_I need to know who Johnson was working for."_

"_Senor Clark," he replied._

"_What?" We both said. _

"_Are you sure?" I asked._

"_Yes, he is," I heard Clark's voice say just before everything went black._

_I woke in the back of a van. My wrists were handcuffed, and my ankles were shackled. Edward was lying next to me. _

"_Edward," I said. "Wake up! Edward!"_

_He stirred slightly._

"_Come on, baby, wake up!"_

_He opened his eyes._

"_Where are we?" He asked._

_The van stopped._

"_I don't know, but I think we're about to find out."_

_The door opened. Two guards stood watch with assault rifles, two others held pistols to our heads, and two more held stun guns. _

"_Wow, Edward," I said. "They must think we're pretty scary. There's six of them and two of us."_

_One of the guards with the pistol snarled, "Get out." _

_We scooted to the edge of the van, and the two with rifles pulled us to our feet. _

"_Follow me," one of the guards with the stun gun said._

_I looked around and realized we were on the base where I had first trained with Dex. We walked into a non-descript office building. Once we were past the security desk, I realized we were in a research lab. We passed several rooms housing research animals and lab technicians. When we reached a room with two hospital beds, we were told to lay down, and then we were strapped in and handcuffed to the bed._

_Clark walked in._

"_Leave us," he ordered the guards._

_When we were alone, he said, "Your friend Joe is quite protective of you, Bella. It would have been so much easier to simply dispose of you two, but he insisted that I keep you alive. So I offered him the alternative of having your memories erased."_

"_What?" We both asked._

"_It's a new procedure the CIA has developed. Oh, don't worry; not all of your memories will be erased. You just won't recall having ever been an agent." _


	10. Chapter 10 You Only Live Twice

**BPOV**

I opened my eyes. Dex was sitting in a chair next to my bed. No one else was in the room.

I sat up. "Where's Edward?"

"I'm right here, love," I heard from behind me.

I leapt out of the bed and flew into his arms. We held each other for several minutes, and I saw Dex quietly leave the room.

Tears were streaming down my face. "You're alive," I gasped. "What happened to you?"

**RPOV**

Shortly after Bella fell asleep, Barry came into the room. He walked over to Bella, looked at her for a moment, and then kissed her forehead.

As he stood up, he put his hand on my shoulder. "Rob, take a walk with me."

I looked at him and smiled. "Do I have a choice?"

"Don't make me shoot you," he chuckled.

I followed him outside. He walked to a bench near the water, sat down and motioned for me to sit next to him.

I waited silently for him to begin. The pained look on his face told me this wasn't going to be easy.

"Rob, this memory that Bella is integrating now is the last one."

I nodded.

"Dex assigned her to spy on a CIA agent suspected of corruption. He had been in deep cover for years infiltrating the South American drug trade. He was established as a major player in the L.A. market."

He paused and smiled. "Bella told me you were at the club and she danced with you right before she met Edward."

"Edward?" I laughed.

"Oh, you'll love this. His name was Edward Culklen."

"Come on! You're kidding me!"

"You keep saying that, but I've yet to kid you. No one could make this shit up!"

I shook my head. "Keep going."

"We told him we needed a supplier for our Cielo clientele. When he met with us at the resort, Bella charmed him."

"Naturally," I said.

"She had to get inside his house to bug it, so …"

"Yeah, I get the picture."

"But in the process of dating him to ensure she'd be invited to his home, she fell in love."

"She fell in love with a corrupt CIA agent who was a drug dealer?" I asked incredulously.

"She believed he was innocent, and she knew her instincts were good."

"Was she right?" I asked.

"Apparently. He eventually asked her to marry him…"

"What?" I said, as I jumped off the bench.

Barry stared at me, waiting for me to calm down.

"Did they get married?" I demanded.

He shook his head. "Both of their memories were wiped before that could happen."

"Why?"

"When Edward told Bella he wanted to marry her, she decided to reveal who she was."

"That must have gone over well," I said sarcastically.

"Yeah, he wasn't thrilled, but he eventually got over it. They decided to go to Bella's friend, Joe and ask who had corrupted the agents responsible for the deaths of her teammates. He said it was the CIA director of operations in Columbia, a guy named Clark. While they were meeting with Joe, Clark showed up, overheard their conversation and drugged them. He planned on killing them both, but Joe wouldn't let him touch Bella.

Clark made a deal with Joe. He knew about the experimental program to erase agents' memories. He told Joe he'd wipe Bella's memory, but he still planned to kill Edward. Joe didn't know that Edward was an agent until he showed up with Bella. He knew him as a business partner. He asked Clark to wipe Edward's memories of being an agent, but to allow Edward to continue as his right hand man.

That's exactly what Clark did, except he told the rest of us that he had to make the deal with Joe to keep them alive. He told Dex and me that Bella followed Edward to Columbia and discovered that it was him who was responsible for turning Johnson and the eventual deaths of her teammates. He said he offered Edward the choice of volunteering to have his memories wiped and returning to work with Joe or going to prison for the rest of his life. He claimed Edward chose the former."

"What about Bella? Why did you think she had her memory wiped?"

"Clark claimed that when Bella heard about the opportunity to have her memories of being an agent wiped, she jumped at the chance. He knew she was only an agent as an alternative to jail and that her heart was never in it. He said that once she found out that Edward was responsible for her friends' deaths she said she'd rather go back to jail than spend any more time as an agent. So he agreed to use her as a volunteer tester."

"What happened after their memories were wiped?" I asked him.

"Clark initially told Dex the story, and Dex contacted me. I picked her up and brought her home. She woke up thinking she had just finished rehab, and Edward woke up in Columbia thinking he'd just had a very bad drug trip."

"What happened to Clark? I asked.

"Dex and I both thought something with Clark's story didn't add up. There was no reason for Bella to rush into the procedure without discussing it with Dex and me first."

"Did you mention that to Clark?"

"Yeah, he said she thought we'd talk her out of it. It made sense, but we didn't buy it. As you know, no one can talk Bella out of anything once her mind is made up."

I smiled and nodded.

"Based on the surveillance of Edward that Bella's work had enabled, Dex found it hard to believe Edward was guilty. There was no evidence other than Johnson's story, that Edward had done anything wrong.

Dex went to visit Johnson in jail and gave him the option of having his memories wiped in exchange for hard evidence against the person who turned him. He agreed and named Clark. He said Clark told him to name Edward. Apparently Clark thought Edward was becoming too powerful and was a threat to his position in Columbia."

"So it was still Johnson's word against Clark's, right?" I asked.

"Right. Dex needed evidence. He asked Johnson why Clark had approached him. Johnson said that while he was working in Bogotá, he'd started dealing on the side. Eventually a deal went bad, and he accidentally shot a Columbian drug enforcement agent. Clark stepped in and made the whole episode disappear. In exchange, he expected Johnson's loyalty.

Dex worked with one of his agents to set up a back story that his ex-wife was bleeding him dry financially. He arranged for this agent, Zack Shey, to replace Johnson in Bogotá. Shey complained about his lack of finances in front of Clark whenever he had the opportunity. Eventually Clark approached Shey and made a deal. Clark was working for Joe and several of the other kingpins making sure their shipments left the country unhindered. He told Shey he'd make his financial troubles disappear if he ensured the agents checking the docks on a particular night also disappeared. The whole conversation was taped, and Dex nailed Clark. Dex also approached Joe who said he'd be more than happy to dispose of Clark since he was sick of Clark assisting his competition."

"How did Dex find out what Clark did to Bella?" I asked.

"Dex paid Clark a visit, along with Shey and several other agents he trusted. He played the tape of his conversation with Shey, and then handed him a package from Joe."

"What was in the package?"

"Photos of some of Joe's disloyal associates after his men had finished torturing them. Dex said Clark took one look at the photos and threw up. That's when Dex gave him the choice of having his memories wiped or being turned over to Joe. Of course he chose having his memories wiped. Dex agreed on the condition that he take a lie detector test and come clean about everything he'd done. That's when the whole story about Bella, Edward and Joe came out."

"So is Edward still in Columbia?" I asked.

"Actually, he's here."

I stared at him. "What are you telling me?"

"They restored his memories, too. They want both of them to work with Joe."

"So I'm supposed to stand aside and let my wife go save the world with her former fiancée?"

"Yeah, you are," he said with a look as hard as granite.

"Jesus, this just keeps getting better all the time, doesn't it."

"I know this is hard…"

"Do you? How many more former lovers of hers am I going to have to face?" I yelled at him.

He stared at me again but his eyes clearly said, "Don't give me your shit."

"Let's be real," he said. "I know what it's like to be single, rich, famous and coveted by women around the globe. Before I met Kelly, there was a different woman in my bed, bus, elevator, limo or wherever the hell I could get off, every damn day. So don't pull any 'holier than though,' crap with me, kid. Bella was in _love_ with Edward, and what happened with Dex was because she was devastated after watching her friends be slaughtered. She wanted to forget what she'd seen, and she got caught up in the moment. But even so, she still loved and respected him. Can you say the same for all the women you've fucked?"

He definitely knew how to put it in perspective. I looked at him and humbly shook my head.

His tone softened. "Look, Rob. I saw her with Edward, and I've seen her with you. Yes, she loved him, but she never once looked at him the way she looks at you. When you came into her life, it was like a missing piece of her soul was found. You two were born to be together. Everyone who sees the two of you knows that. And _you_ know that."

I nodded.

"Rob, Edward is in her room now with Dex."

My head snapped up.

"Give her some time. She's going to be devastated when she wakes up and realizes what happened. You know she'll be in your arms tonight."

_Did I know that?_ I wondered.

"Come on, kid. She should be awake by now. Let's see how she's doing."

As we walked into the building, Barry said, "I'm going to grab a cup of coffee. Do you want some?"

I nodded.

"Go ahead. I'll meet you there," he said.

As I walked toward Bella's room, I saw Dex walking away in the opposite direction. When I reached the doorway, I froze. Bella was in the arms of a man I'd never seen before, and I assumed was Edward. Her back was to me, so she didn't know I was watching. I took a step back so I was out of his line of site but could still see them.

"They wiped my memory, too," he said. "I've been in Columbia working with Joe up until a week ago when Joe and I took a business trip to L.A.; I got drunk one night, fell asleep in a hotel room, and woke up in a lab room here."

I watched as he ran his fingers along my wife's face and then continued his story.

"When I woke up after my memories of you were restored, I was desperate to know if you were alright. Dex filled me in. I couldn't believe it when he said you were here."

He paused while he stared into her eyes, and then he said, "I love you, Bella. Looking back on the past several years, it makes sense now why I always felt like nothing was fitting into place. It wasn't because my memories were missing; it was because you were missing. Please tell me you still love me."

"Of course I still love you," she replied.

I felt like someone had reached through my ribcage and ripped my heart out. I turned and bolted toward our suite. Barry had arranged for my car to be dropped off here a few days ago, and the keys were in the room. I grabbed them, found the Porche, and took off.

**BPOV**

Edward leaned toward me as if he was about to kiss me, but I pulled away.

"Edward, I'm so sorry. Didn't Dex tell you I'm married?"

"Yes, but I … I guess when Dex told me who you had married, I let myself hope it was a typical Hollywood marriage."

"What? Where people sleep with whoever they want to?" I laughed. "I guess there are people like that in Hollywood, just like anywhere else. But the couples we choose to hang with are actually in love."

"So you're happy?" He asked.

"Yes, Edward, I'm very happy. We have four amazing and beautiful children, whom I miss terribly at this moment."

"But what about your marriage?" He pressed.

"Edward, I'm so sorry you somehow thought we could pick up where we left off, but I'm very much in love with my husband, and I fall more into love with him every day. When I said I loved you, I meant I still very much care about you and what happens to you, but there can never be anything more than friendship between us ever again. I would never do anything to hurt Rob."

Edward placed his hand on my cheek and looked into my eyes. "God, he's one lucky son of a bitch," he said with a smile. "I am glad that you are happy, Bella."

"Thank you, Edward," I said as I kissed his cheek.

I heard someone clear their throat behind us and turned to see my father.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"I'm reeling, Dad. It's a hell of a lot to take in."

"I know. Edward, it's good to see you again. Welcome back."

"Thanks, Barry. It's good to see you, but it's pretty surreal!"

Dad nodded in agreement and then said, "Bella, I need to talk to you. Excuse us, Edward," he said as he put his arm around me and led me out of the room.

"Bella, I filled Rob in on this last memory and your relationship with Edward."

I nodded. "How did he take it?"

"He was a little shaken, but I talked him off the ledge," Dad smiled. "I talked to him outside, and when we came back in, he headed up here while I went to get coffee. As I was coming back through the lobby, I saw him tearing out of here in his car. What happened?"

"Oh no! He must have overheard me talking to Edward. Dad, give me your phone. Mine's back in the room."

Dad handed me his phone, and I punched Rob's number. It went straight to his voicemail. I called Ben. He picked up on the first ring.

"Bella, how are you feeling?" He asked.

"Ben, I'm OK, but I'm worried about Rob. I think he overheard a conversation I had with Edward and may have taken it out of context. Dad said he saw him leaving here in his car. Can you locate him with the GPS tracker?"

"Hang on," Ben said. I heard computer keys clicking in the background. "I've got him. He's on highway 14 near Mint Canyon."

"Thank God. Please keep an eye on him for me, Ben. Hopefully he's on his way home. Call me if he goes somewhere else."

"No problem. Welcome back."

"Thanks, Ben," I said before I ended the call.

I handed my phone back to my father. "Dad, can we please go home now? I need my kids."

"Come on, I'll drive you," he said as he put his arm around me. "We'll send someone to pick up your stuff."

"Let me just say good-bye to Edward and find out what's next from Dex."

We walked back into my lab room; Edward and Dex were talking but stopped when we walked in.

"Is everything OK?" Edward asked.

"I don't know. I'll probably have to talk my husband down from the ledge later on, but he'll be OK," I said with a half-hearted smile. "Dex, I have got to get out of here. What's next now that I'm officially a spy again?"

"Just go home, Bella. Rest for a few days, and play with your kids. Settle things with Rob, and then we'll talk."

I nodded, gave them both a quick hug, and walked out the door with my father, two spies side by side.

**RPOV**

I saw Barry's name on my caller-ID and ignored it. I didn't need another lecture from my father-in-law right now. I needed to get away from that Goddamn claustrophobic hospital and all the shit it was doing to my wife and my marriage.

I couldn't get the image of Bella in Edward's arms out of my mind. The sound of her voice telling him she loved him was playing on an infinite loop in my head.

My obsessive misery was interrupted by my phone. It buzzed indicating I had a text from my assistant, Karen, that read, 'CALL ME. URGENT!'

I pressed her number, and she picked up on the first ring.

"Thank God! Charles is freaking out. Your leading lady, Rachel, is pregnant and just withdrew from the movie. He wants to replace her with Celine Daniels, but he said he's got to have a screen test with you first. He's calling me every five minutes. He said I should beg you to come in to the studio, and if that didn't work, offer you anything you want."

"Alright, alright. Tell him to calm down. I'm on my way back to L.A. I'll swing by. I should be there in about an hour."

"Here he is again; I'll tell him. See you soon!" She hung up.

_God, Charles is a good director, but he's so melodramatic, _I thought._ Celine Daniels. She's perfect. _

The part Charles was worried about was that of Conchita Montenegro. According to the _Intrigue _script, which was supposedly based on a true story, Montenegro had an affair with Leslie Howard after the pair starred together in the 1931 film, _Never the Twain Shall Meet_. She later married an influential Spanish politician who was able to secure a meeting between Howard and Franco, the Spanish dictator.

The part was one that any actress would covet. Celine had the same dark, sultry look that Conchita had, and she's a powerhouse actress. I was looking forward to this reading.

Karen told me to meet Charles and Celine on one of the sound stages. When I walked in, Charles gasped dramatically, "Oh, thank God you're here. I know Celine is perfect and, well, just look at her. Anyone can see she _is_ Conchita, but the Goddamn studio execs! You know how they are. Oh God, I didn't even introduce you. Robert Pattinson, this is Celine Daniels."

I walked over to Celine and shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope we'll have a chance to work together."

"Likewise," she said with a smile.

"Alright, here's the set up," Charles said, jumping right in. "Earlier in the movie, we've seen that Howard and Conchita had an affair. It ended amicably when the movie finished filming, and they remained friends.

In this scene, it's 1944, at the height of the war. Howard has arrived in Spain to reconnect with Conchita. He's learned that she recently married, Ricardo Giménez who has political influence. Howard intends to convince Conchita to have her husband set up a meeting with Franco. One of his contacts told him she would be at _Club Madrid_ tonight. This scene takes place in the club. He spots her dancing, and cuts in.

Let's read through it once and then I'll roll the film."

I looked at the script and recited Howard's lines while Charles read Gimenez and Celine read Conchita.

_Howard: "Excust mi senor. Puedo tener este baile?_"

_Gimenez: _ _"Ah, Mr. Howard, it is a pleasure to see you here in Madrid. Of course, you must dance with my beautiful wife. My dear." _The script direction indicated that Gimenez kissed Conchita's hand and walked away.

_Howard: My love, I don't know how it is possible, but you are even more beautiful than you were when we worked together so long ago. _

_Conchita: And you haven't changed one bit, Leslie, darling. You're still as handsome and charming as ever. _

_Howard: So does marriage agree with you, Conchita?_

_Conchita: My husband's bank account agrees with me; you should know that about me by now. _

_Howard: Ah yes, money always did look good on you. _The script direction indicated that Howard gestured to the jewels around her neck.

We read through the rest of the scene; Charles blocked it for us, and we performed it for the camera. After the first run through, I knew Celine was perfect for the role. Our connection was immediate, and when Charles played back the scene, it was obvious the chemistry we had was translating to the screen as well.

Charles thanked Celine and dismissed her. He pounced on me the moment she left the room.

"Well? What did you think?"

"She's perfect," I replied. "She has the dark and exotic look; she's a talented actress, and we've got chemistry. Sign her."

"Good, I agree. God, Rob, I'm an idiot. How's Bella?"

I bristled at the mention of Bella's name as the image of her in Edward's arms flashed through my mind.

"She's much better. She's getting out of the hospital today."

"Oh, thank God she's alright. Give her my love. Karen told me that you absolutely must stop by your office and see her before you go."

We discussed the shoot schedule for another minute, and then I headed toward my office. Karen gave me a hug and asked about Bella and then handed me a stack of paperwork needing my attention. As we were talking, there was a knock, and Celine stuck her head into my office.

"Excuse me, Rob. I know you're busy, but I was wondering if I could ask you a couple of questions?"

"Sure," I replied. "Karen, are we done for now?" She nodded, and said,

"I've got to run. I'll call you tomorrow to go over your schedule. Good night."

"Thanks for everything, as always. I don't know how I'd survive without you."

"You couldn't, and don't forget it," she quipped on her way out the door.

"Celine, please sit down," I said.

"Thank you," she replied as we both sat on the sofa. "How do you think it went today?" She asked.

"I thought it went well. I think you're perfect for the part," I replied.

"I'm so relieved to hear that. I thought it went well too, but Charles is so hard to read. He's really why I wanted to see you. What's he like to work with?"

"I know he comes across as a drama queen, but once he's behind the camera, he's very focused, and I like what he has planned for this shoot. If we can put up with his emotional outbursts for several months, I think it will turn out brilliantly."

"I'm looking forward to working with you, Rob. I thought we had great chemistry," she said as she slid closer to me on the couch. She ran her hand along my thigh and said, "You know, I would do _anything_ to get this part." The look she gave me left no doubt what she had in mind by _anything_.

Some variation of this scene had happened on virtually every movie I'd been in. If it wasn't my romantic lead, it was some other actress, extra or crew member hitting on me. And every time it happened, since the day I met my wife, I politely replied that I was flattered by their interest, but I was very much in love with Bella, so 'thanks, but no thanks.'

I was about to recite that same speech when the image of Bella in Edward's arms telling him she loved him flashed through my mind. I looked at Celine. It would be so easy to let her hand keep moving up my leg…

**BPOV**

While Dad and I were driving back to L.A., Ben called to say Rob's car was at the studio.

"Dad, please drop me off there. I'd better work this out with him before we get home and have to deal with the kids."

He nodded and headed in that direction. I called Karen, and she told me Rob was in his office. A half hour later, I walked up to Rob's office door, which was ajar, and was about to enter when I heard,

"I'm looking forward to working with you, Rob. I thought we had great chemistry. You know, I would do _anything_ to get this part."

I peered through the door's opening and saw Celine Daniels run her hand up Rob's leg. I held my breath as he silently looked at her.

Finally, he grabbed her hand and said, "Look Celine, you don't need to do this. I already told Charles I thought you were perfect for the part."

"I'm glad you feel that way," she replied seductively. "So you felt our chemistry too?" She ran her other hand along his chest.

"Yes, Celine, I did, but I am very much in love with my wife. So the chemistry between you and me is going to stay on the set. Nothing is going to happen between us when the camera stops rolling. You're very beautiful, and I'm flattered, but I will never do anything to hurt Bella."

I exhaled.

"So what they say about you is true," Celine said, pretending to pout.

"What's that?" He asked.

"You're all work and no play," she smiled.

"Oh, he gets plenty of play," I said, walking into the office.

Celine gasped and jumped up. Rob turned and looked at me with an expression I couldn't read.

"Bella, this is Celine Daniels," he said as if they had just been discussing the national debt.

Celine walked toward me and extended her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Bella," she gushed.

I ignored her hand. "I wish I could say the same. Now get out of my husband's office."

A mortified expression marred her perfect features. She grabbed her bag and stomped out the door.

I looked at Rob. "It was nice to hear you tell her to back off because you love me."

"Yeah, it's too bad it doesn't work both ways," he said dejectedly.

He was still sitting on the couch, so I knelt in front of him. "Tell me what you heard, baby, because you could not have heard everything I said."

He looked at me, and the pain I saw in his expression, brought tears to my eyes.

"I saw you in his arms. I saw him caress your face. I heard him tell you he loves you, and…." He paused and looked away. "You told him you still loved him."

"And then you left?" I asked.

"Bella, it felt like someone ripped my heart out of my chest. Yes, I didn't want to stick around and hear anymore."

"Baby, if you had stayed for another 30 seconds, you would have heard me tell him that I am married to my soul mate who fathered my four beautiful children, and that I would never do anything to hurt you because I'm madly in love with you."

He looked at me without saying anything. His expression had softened, but he didn't look convinced.

I leaned forward and brushed my lips against his. "These lips are the only lips I want to kiss." I ran my hand down his arms. "These arms are the only arms that I want to hold me."

I traced my fingers along his chest and down his abdomen and then let my hand linger on his crotch. "And this perfect, scream inducing cock is the only one that will ever be buried inside of me."

At that he pulled me onto the couch, pushed me onto my back and crushed his mouth into mine.

Some frenzied and primal need was unleashed in him. He only kissed me for a moment before he leaned back and roughly pulled my jeans off, then he grabbed my thong and tore it from my body. He unzipped his fly and didn't bother to remove his jeans, he just plunged deeply inside me.

He wrapped his fingers in my hair and roughly pulled my mouth to his. He kissed me deeply while ramming his body into mine.

"Bella," he growled. "Tell me you're mine."

"I'm yours," I gasped.

"No one else will ever…," he paused as he drove himself deeply into my core, "…be inside you."

"No, baby. There's only you."

He pulled out of me and replaced his cock with his practiced fingers which immediately began stroking my G-spot. I moaned and writhed in response to the pleasure building inside me.

His tongue teased it's way along my neck and he whispered into my ear, "No one else knows _exactly_ how to make you feel the way you do right now."

I cried out in response as my muscles tightened around his fingers. He lowered his body, and his tongue immediately found my clit while his fingers continued to stroke me. In seconds, I threw my head back and arched into his mouth as my scream filled his office.

He plunged back into me before I had come down so I rode the wave of my second orgasm into my third. When he felt me tightening around him again, he drove himself deep inside of me and joined me in ecstatic release.

Once he could talk again, he leaned on his elbow and brushed the hair from my face. "Bella, I know that you have no choice about working with Dex and Edward, but the idea of them being within a hundred miles of you makes me insane."

"What do I have to do to convince you that I mean it when I say you are the only man I want?" I demanded.

"Bella, the rational part of me knows that. It's the caveman part that's struggling. I'm only human."

I looked at his gorgeous face and replied, "Yeah, it's easy to forget that when you look like a god and make love like a machine," I said, smiling.

"A machine? I'd like to think I'm much more inviting than something you can power with batteries."

"Well, maybe just a little," I teased.

He shook his head.

"Your inner cave woman emerged when Celine was here," he said with a smirk.

"Yeah, she's lucky it was only my inner cave woman and not my double-O status that emerged. I wanted to kick the shit out of her."

"You felt that way about her, and she was hardly declaring her love for me. She just wanted to sleep with me thinking it would help her get the part. I have to stand by knowing Dex and Edward are in love with you and some part of you still loves them."

I pulled his lips to mine, kissed him, and then murmured, "Yes, there is a part of me that loves them platonically, but there is absolutely _no part_ of me that is _in _love with them or that wants to make love to them. Look at me."

His eyes met mine.

"I am completely yours, body, mind and soul, forever."

Our lips met again, and as he kissed his way down my neck, I said,

"Stop."

"Why?" He asked, as he ignored my request and ran his tongue up the other side of my neck.

"Because we haven't seen our kids in days! We have to go home!"

"Mmm, that's right, we have kids," he laughed. "You make me forget we have a life that involves anything other than sex."

"Well, we do, and they need us, and I most definitely need them, so let's go."

I slipped my jeans back on, commando, since my thong was shredded. I was about to pick it up off the floor to throw it away, when Rob beat me to it.

"Oh no you don't," he laughed. I watched as he tucked it into his desk drawer.

"You're really weird," I laughed.

"Some night, when I'm stuck here working late, I figure those may come in handy."

"Like I said, you're weird."

He pulled me into his arms, kissed me and whispered, I love you Mrs. Pattinson. Now let's go home."


	11. Chapter 11 Twilight in London

**A/N:** They are FINALLY in London! This chapter has it all - London, lemons, action and Alice! ENJOY! Let me know what you think!

**BPOV**

We had a few days to relax with the kids while I supposedly recovered from the car accident. The story was that I had "miraculously" recovered very quickly with the excellent care I received in the hospital. We also used the time to start packing for our temporary move to London.

My Mom's connections to all of the major European designers meant that we had new wardrobes waiting for us in London. She also assured me that all new toys and games awaited the kids. So there was actually very little we had to pack.

We arranged for an overnight flight to make it as easy as possible on the kids. Air Jordan had a bedroom that Rob and I slept in and sofas where Jordan and Kate slept. We set up portable cribs for the twins and settled in for the flight.

Mom had been in London working on our house for the past two weeks. She refused to send any pictures or breathe a word about what she was up to. Her taste is impeccable, so I had absolutely no qualms about giving her free reign. But the suspense was killing me. I couldn't wait to see our new home. My only request was for a custom-built dining room table that was taller than the standard table. When I told Mom what I wanted, she said,

"Why do you … never mind, I don't think I want to know the answer."

Mom and Rob's parents met us at Heathrow. His parents had flown over a week ago to re-open their house and get it child and photographer proofed.

Mom asked Rob and his parents to take the kids over to their place first so she could give me the uninterrupted grand tour of our house.

It was twilight as we pulled up to the main entrance. _Twilight,_ I thought. _How appropriate._ Each window glowed with a soft light. The driveway was lit by lights that twinkled from within the stones where they were hidden.

"Mom, I love it already. The lighting is gorgeous."

She beamed.

As we walked up the front steps, the door was thrown open, and Alice threw her arms around me as she yelled, "Welcome home!"

I laughed. "I should have known you would be here."

"There was no way I was going to miss this decorating opportunity!"

"I'll have to send Ashley some flowers and thank her for letting you borrow her body yet again."

"Oh she doesn't mind. She loves being a vampire, a little too much I'm afraid!" Alice giggled as she pulled me into the entrance hall.

I gasped. "Oh my God! How did you do all of this without vampire speed? It is spectacular!"

"It was not easy. We had to hire so much help! I've never had to do that in my existence! I'm so used to doing everything myself!"

"Yes, giving up control is not one of Alice's strong points," Mom laughed.

"I honestly don't know how you humans stand it! These bodies are just so slow and inefficient. You have to constantly eat, drink, use the restroom and sleep. How you get _anything_ done is truly a miracle."

Mom and I both laughed. "It's definitely a miracle what you've done with this place. Show me the rest!" I ordered gleefully.

One room was more gorgeous than the next. When we walked into the kids' playroom, I squealed with delight. They hired an artist who had painted various storybook scenes on the walls including a whole wall devoted to _Rapunzel_. There was a wall covered in white board and chalkboard paint so the kids could be free to write on the walls without reprisal! Another wall was filled with cubbies to store toys, books and games. Alice and Mom had obviously been on a spree since the cubbies were filled to the brim.

I grabbed Alice's hands and we jumped up and down with delight as if we were five years old. Mom laughed, and we ran over and hugged her.

"Alice, you absolutely can _not_ leave until the kids see this!"

"I worked it out with Ashley; I can stay another day!"

We jumped up and down and squealed some more.

"You haven't seen my favorite room yet," Alice said with a sly smile.

Mom jumped in, "And I am clarifying right now, for the record, that I had _nothing_ to do with it! Alice wouldn't even let me near it."

"Uh oh, what on earth did you do Miss Cullen?"

She grabbed my hand and ran down the hall.

"OK, shut your eyes," she said.

I did as she asked, and she led me into a room.

"OK, open them!"

I opened my eyes and gasped. It was as if I had stepped back in time; she had somehow captured the combination of pure elegance mixed with a coziness that made me want to sink into this room's warmth and stay here forever.

The walls had been expertly sponge painted so they were a warm gold mixed with a soft earthy brown. I noticed stenciling which had been woven throughout the room, and when I stepped closer to read the text, tears began to pour down my cheeks.

"Oh no, what's wrong? You hate it, don't you! I can fix it! I should have let you mother do this room," Alice wailed.

I was too moved to speak so I shook my head and hugged her. "You are not going to change one thing. I'm crying because I'm overwhelmed by its beauty. Alice, you stenciled our wedding vows! If you had done nothing else, I would be in love with this room, but every detail is perfect. I may never leave this room ever again!"

She jumped up and down again and tears started flowing from her eyes too. She suddenly stopped jumping and touched her cheek.

"Tears? I'm crying! I've never cried before, at least that I can remember, and now I'm crying because I'm happy! You humans! How do you cope with all of these bodily inconveniences?" She said as she hugged me. "I'm so glad you love it!"

"Alice, it's the most beautiful room I've ever seen!"

I slowly looked around at every exquisite detail. The ceiling was beamed with wood that looked ancient.

Alice saw me looking up. "Those beams came from a church that recently burned down. The church was built in the 1200's so those beams are over 800 years old."

My mouth dropped open, and I stared at her. "Alice, that is amazing! I can feel the history emanating from them."

"I know!" She chirped.

I walked over to the stone fireplace and ran my hand along the cool, rough edges. The entire wall was covered in stone.

"These stones were used in the walls and the fireplace in a castle in Scotland that was built in the 1400's that fell into disrepair. It was recently renovated, and these original stones were no longer needed."

"They are so beautiful Alice. Thank you for finding them."

She took my hand and walked me over to the breath-taking four-poster bed draped with simple gold fabric.

"This bed," Alice beamed, "belonged to Lord Byron."

"No way!" I yelled.

"Yes way!" She yelled back.

"Lie down and look up at the ceiling," she commanded.

I did as she asked. She had stenciled the words to Byron's, "She Walks in Beauty," on the ceiling. I started crying again.

"Alice, you are so far beyond amazing, there are no words to describe your talent!"

She jumped on the bed, and we giggled and laughed like giddy kids on Christmas morning.

"There's more!" She said as she jumped up and pulled me off the bed with her.

We walked into the bathroom, and I had to remind myself to breathe. Every inch was Italian marble. A fireplace was lit in the center of the room and cast a warm glow over the enormous whirlpool tub, also carved in marble. The entire wall behind the fireplace was encased in glass and housed a shower, which would easily accommodate Rob, me and a basketball team!

"I am definitely never leaving my master bedroom suite," I said as I threw my arms around her again. "I love it! Thank you so much!"

"So now can you do something for me?" She asked.

"Yes, of course! What is it?"

"_House Beautiful_ wants to photograph your home and interview you. Would you mind letting them do that and promoting the _Alice Cullen_ brand?"

"No, of course not. I would love to do something for you in return for all of this beauty you created."

As we walked back through the house, I asked Alice to sit down in the living room with me.

As we stared into the glowing fireplace, I told her about my recent return to MI6 and the impending terrorist attack.

"Bella, this is even more incredible than your whole shift into our world! I can't believe you were or are a spy!"

"I know Alice; I'm still having a hard time believing this is happening. I know that since you are borrowing Ashley's body your ability to see is vastly diminished, but can you see anything about the terrorist attack?"

She shut her eyes for a moment, attempting to focus. After a few minutes, she sighed.

"This human body is so frustrating! I can't see a thing, Bella, but when I get back to my world and my body, I will try again."

"Thank you, Alice. Anything you can tell me might help save the lives of millions of people."

"Not to mention all the work I just put into this house! No terrorist is going to blow up this masterpiece while I'm around!"

I hugged her. "Now let's show the rest of my family this work of art."

A few weeks later, I was giving the _House Beautiful_ interviewer, Rachel, the grand tour. I pointed out the highlights including the Lord Byron bed and other antique touches Alice had added. We were sitting in the living room answering her questions when Rob arrived home, unexpectedly early. I introduced him to Rachel, and of course, she asked if he would answer a few questions. He sat down, and graciously agreed.

"What's your favorite part of the new house, Rob?" She asked.

"The dining room table," he replied.

I had just taken a sip of my tea, and immediately started to cough since my attempt to stifle a laugh caused the tea to shoot into my windpipe.

"Honey, are you OK?" He said, with a smirk.

"I'm …fine," I coughed.

"Out of all the beautiful pieces in this home, why is that your favorite?" Rachel asked.

"Because of the intimate get togethers we have around that table," he replied.

This time I was coughing so hard, I had to leave the room.

Rob followed me. "Have you developed a drinking problem," he laughed.

"Very funny. I suppose if she asks what else you like, you'll tell her the Lord Byron bed?"

"Now that's a tough call. I can't decide between the bed and the giant marble shower." He smiled and kissed me.

"We'd better finish the interview," I said.

We walked back into the living room.

"So Rob," Rachel asked, "how is it being back in London?"

"I absolutely love being back here. And I'm thrilled that we own a house here now so it will be easier to visit more often. This is the first significant amount of time we've spent here with our kids; I'm looking forward to taking them to the places I went as a child. But the absolute best thing about being back here is, of course, the beer!" He said with a laugh.

Rachel asked us a few more questions, and then said, "One final question for you, Rob, what actress, out of those who you haven't worked with yet, would you most like to work with?"

"Judi Dench," he said.

"Why Dame Dench?" Rachel asked.

"Besides the fact that she's a brilliant actress, I would love to play opposite her when she reprises her role as M in a James Bond film when Daniel Craig is ready to step down."

"Honey, I had no idea you aspired to play James Bond," I said, smiling.

"I would love to play him. Spies are so fascinating," he said.

"Not to mention sexy," I replied.

"Well, there's definitely that aspect."

"I don't think you should play the next Bond," I said.

"No? I'm wounded," he replied with mock hurt in his voice.

"I think the next Bond should be a woman. They need to completely recreate the franchise and maybe James' daughter, Jane, could be the next film's heroine."

"A female double-O. That's a very interesting idea," he replied as he winked at me.

"Yes, very," I said. "Rachel, thank you for your time, but we need to pick up our children now before they completely wear out Rob's parents."

As soon as the door closed behind Rachel, Rob's arms were around my waist, and his lips were running up my neck. "I have a surprise for you," he said as he nuzzled my ear.

"I like surprises."

"Actually, I have two surprises." He opened his wallet. "Here's the first surprise," he said as he handed me a business card.

"Oh my God!" I gasped as I saw my name and my old cell phone number on the faded card. "You found it!"

"Yes," he laughed. "The night you told me about it, I remembered tossing this old wallet into my bureau at my parents'. I stopped by there today and asked Mum what she did with my stuff. She put it all in a box in the attic; I rifled through and found my old wallet, and low and behold…"

"Oh," was all I could say as tears filled my eyes.

He wiped a tear away. "Why are you crying?"

"It's so … I don't have the words …"

"So meant to be?" He said as he pulled me into his arms.

"Yes, it's like the universe kept forcing our paths to cross until we were paying attention."

"What's this 'we' stuff? _I_ was _always_ paying attention to you," he said as he kissed my neck.

"That's true," I laughed. "And I certainly paid attention to you those times we met, but my life was too crazed back then. I'm so grateful the gods gave me another chance to get it right," I said as I brushed my hand over his cheek.

"I love you," he said as he kissed me.

"Mmm, I love you back," I murmured.

He suddenly stopped kissing me and stepped back. "I have got to show some self control! There's another surprise, and we won't get there if I keep kissing you!" He took the business card from me and slipped it back into his wallet.

"What did you mean that 'we won't get there?' Aren't you forgetting about the four children who are waiting for us to pick them up?" I asked.

"We aren't going to pick up the kids."

I leaned back and looked at him. "We're not?"

He smiled and shook his head. "I worked it out with Mum and Dad. The kids are staying with them tonight. You and I are going out."

"Where are we going?"

"Do you want to know now or do you want to be surprised?"

"Hmm. I want to be surprised. But you have to tell me what to wear."

"I believe your Mom handled that when she stopped by earlier today. I told her where we were going, and she was supposed to hang a dress on your closet door."

"Wow, you thought of everything. How long do I have before we need to leave?"

"We should get ready now," he said as he took my hand and led me upstairs.

"Ah, Versace," I said when I spotted my red cocktail dress hanging on the door. "So we're going someplace dressy. Is a car picking us up?"

"Yes. You have thirty minutes," he said.

"What? No hair then. A chignon will have to suffice."

"Works for me. It gives me better access to your neck," he said as he leaned in to kiss me.

"Don't distract me! I only have 29 minutes left!"

He laughed and started getting undressed.

"I thought I told you not to distract me," I said as he pulled his shirt over his head.

He shot me a devilish smile and dropped his shirt on the floor. He leaned against one of the bedposts, shut his eyes and ran his hand slowly along his bulging crotch. He unbuttoned his jeans, one. button. at. a. time. He slipped his hand inside his jeans and freed his throbbing cock. His eyes met mine, and a moan escaped my lips when he gave me his sexiest 'come hither' look.

I walked over and ran my hand along his length.

"We'll be late," he said.

"Then you'd better hurry up and fuck me," I replied.

Rob unbuttoned my jeans and pushed them down my hips. As soon as I stepped out of them, he picked me up and carried me to the dresser.

"We haven't christened this particular piece of furniture yet," he said as he pulled my shirt off. He slid into me, and I locked my feet behind his back. I ran my hands along his cheeks. "When your beard is like this, you are so drop dead gorgeous, I find it hard to breathe."

He smiled before he buried my mouth with his. We kissed passionately until he broke away and said, "God! There is nothing that can compare to being inside of you!" He reached between us and expertly worked his magic until I was moaning in release. He drove himself deeply into me and as the last wave of my orgasm ended, his began. I watched his face while he came; he was completely lost in the pleasure, but the moment he opened his eyes, the same profound look of passionate love greeted me.

"I am so in love with you," he said as he picked me up and walked with me to the shower. He set me down, and I turned on the water and reached for the soap.

"This is a bad idea if we have a deadline," I said as I ran my soapy hands along his chest and arms.

"Mmm, what deadline?" he asked, as he pulled my hips into his and ran his hands down my back.

"So your surprise was we had to be in this shower by 6:30?" I laughed.

"Oh, that surprise," he said, as he ran his tongue along my neck, lathered his hands and slipped them between my legs. "You do need to be sparkling clean for where we are going."

I reached for his cock, which was once again rock hard. "What about you? I imagine you need to be glistening as well," I said as I stroked him.

"Oh, we are going to be so late," he moaned as he slid back into me.

Once our quick but passionate encounter subsided, we rinsed off, ran a towel over each other's bodies, and bolted back to our respective closets.

"Stay in your closet until you are dressed!" He yelled. "No more delays!"

I laughed as I slid into my lingerie. I quickly dressed and slipped on my matching red stilettos and grabbed a wrap. Rob watched me as I transferred my gun and makeup from my every day bag to my evening bag. He just shook his head.

"Come on," I said. "I'll touch up my make up and do my hair while we're in the car."

He took my hand and led me downstairs to the waiting limo. As soon as the door closed, he pulled me into his arms and kissed me passionately.

I smiled. "What is with you tonight? You are utterly insatiable."

"I don't know, unless it's that you look particularly delectable." He placed my hand on his crotch, which was once again ready for action.

"My God, Rob! You're a machine," I said, laughing.

"This machine wants you…again." He slid my shoes off and then rid me of my panties. He pulled me onto his lap, and I unzipped his pants. For the third time in an hour, my sexy and insatiable husband was buried inside of me.

"Do we have a long car ride?" I asked as I slowly moved my hips up and down his length.

"Yes, fortunately, we do." He put his hands on my hips to guide me and looked down to watch as he disappeared inside my core.

"Bella, I could do this all night. No, I could stay right here for the rest of my life, doing nothing but making love to you."

"Was _that_ my surprise?" I asked. "We're going to make love _all_ night long?"

He smiled. "I'll save that for another night."

We took our time, languishing in each other's kisses and allowing our souls to reconnect as well as our bodies.

When we came together for the third time, I rested my head on my husband's shoulder and said, "Wow, baby, what was that?"

"Bella, look at me."

I leaned back and looked into the eyes that still melted me.

He put his hand on my cheek. "If we had all the time in the world, and there was only you and me, _that_ is how I would make love to you every day. When we make love, I'm always left wanting more. Even now, part of me wants to skip the plans I made for this evening and tell the driver to turn around and go home so I can make love to you all night. It's never enough; I will never stop wanting you."

"Mmm, I know exactly how you feel," I said as I kissed him.

"Ugh!" He gasped in mock frustration. "Go over to that side of the car! I put a lot of effort into tonight's plans, and I'm going to show some self discipline and follow through!"

I laughed and slid to the other side of the seat and started touching up my make up. I felt his eyes on me, and turned to him and smiled.

"God, you are beautiful," he said.

"Thank you, baby, so are you."

I reached down to pick up my panties, which he had tossed on the floor earlier, and he beat me to them. He balled them up and stuck them in his coat pocket.

I stared at him with my mouth hanging open. "You've got to be kidding me," I said, laughing.

"Oh no, I don't kid about something as serious as your lingerie, or lack there of," he said with a smirk.

I smiled and shook my head and then went to work twisting my hair into a chignon. I glanced at Rob and said, "You'd better run some gel through your hair. It definitely screams, 'I just fucked my wife three times in a row!'"

He laughed and dug the hair gel out of my purse.

"Allow me," I said. I squeezed some gel into my palms and then ran my hands through the world's sexiest hair. "Perfect," I said, as I admired my work. "Now it just looks like you only had sex one time."

He laughed and kissed me.

"Down boy! Back to your side of the car."

He pretended to pout and slid to the opposite end of the seat again.

I looked out the window and realized we were in the theatre district. "Oh! Are we seeing a show?" I asked.

He smiled and nodded.

"Which one?"

"It's opening night of _The Tempest_ with Judi Dench."

"Oh, so that's why you brought up her name when the interviewer asked about an actress you would like to work with. It's supposed to be a brilliant show."

"I know. I've been trying to work this out for days; I'm really looking forward to it."

Rob placed a call and said, "Our car is almost at the theatre." He paused, and then said, "Alright, we'll be at the side door in just a few minutes. Thank you."

He looked at me and said, "The house manager is meeting us at the actor's entrance so we can avoid the crowds and paparazzi."

The car stopped near an alleyway, and we walked several yards to the stage's side entrance. Rob knocked, and the house manager let us in and led us to a private box seat. We sat down just as the lights went down.

The show was every bit as brilliant as the reviews claimed. During the intermission, the house manager brought us drinks and snacks and said, "His Royal Highness, Prince Charles sends his greetings. He is in the box next to you."

"Really?" Rob asked.

The house manager nodded.

"Please tell him thank you, and we hope he is enjoying the show," Rob said.

The house manager nodded again and left.

The lights flickered to indicate the end of the intermission, so we took our seats once again.

The lights went down, and Judi Dench walked on stage to polite applause. She opened her mouth to speak, and the sound of a gunshot exploded the stillness.

**End Note:** The inspiration for the walls in the kids' playroom comes from a page in my "RL" (real life). An entire wall of my living room is painted with white board paint. I bet I'm the only Mom on the planet who encourages their kids to write on the living room walls!

There's a picture on my web site of the red Versace dress Bella wore. There are also pictures for each chapter. And don't forget, there's a Rob slide show with over 200 pictures on my home page! (No ads, just fun!) Click "Addicted2Twylyte" in the upper left corner of this page next to my Rob avatar. Then click homepage.

So RL is tough right now - I could use some TLC from Y'all (Yes, I live in N.C.). So please click "Review," and brighten my day!

Thanks!

Happy 24th Birthday to Rob! Did you watch Oprah?


	12. Chapter 12  License To Kill

I automatically dove for the floor and pulled Rob down with me as I went. I reached for my gun and moved the curtain aside that hung on the railing over the lower half of our balcony.

A man walked onto the stage holding an assault rifle. Two other men, also holding rifles, flanked either end of the stage, and another two stood in the back of the theatre. I scanned the balcony and noticed armed men appearing in the other box seats.

"Stand up," I hissed at Rob. I moved to stand behind the door to our box seat and motioned for him to stand in front of it.

"Someone is about to come through that door. I need to take him out. Don't move."

Rob looked alarmed, but he nodded.

The door opened. An armed man entered, and focused his attention on Rob, who was standing in front of him. He leveled his gun at Rob just as I smashed my gun into his temple; he crumpled to the floor.

He was wearing a Bluetooth. I grabbed it and put it on. I heard,

"Delta 1 check."

"Alpha 2 check."

There was a pause.

"Delta three what's the hold up?"

I handed the Bluetooth to Rob and said, "Say, 'Delta three check.'"

Rob repeated what I had said and handed the Bluetooth back to me.

As I continued to listen in on the terrorist's comments, I said to Rob, "Take off your jacket and shirt."

He looked at me questioningly, but did as I asked. I pulled the shirt and ski mask off the unconscious man and tossed them to Rob. He put them on.

I slid back over to the edge of the balcony and looked at the other box seats. Each of them now held an armed man.

I motioned for Rob to pick up the man's gun and then stand by the edge of the balcony.

The man on the stage spoke to the audience. "Ladies and Gentleman, this is not part of this evening's show. You are, in fact, now being held hostage."

There were murmurs and shouts throughout the audience. The man on the stage aimed his gun at the ceiling, fired, and then said, "There will be no speaking or noise of any kind. Is that clear?"

He was met with silence.

"Good," he said.

I grabbed my cell phone and sent an encrypted message to Dex. Within a minute, he replied that this group had already notified the authorities demanding the immediate release of four terrorists currently being held in custody by the British government. They gave the authorities one hour, and if the terrorists were not released, they threatened to start killing one person every five minutes, starting with Prince Charles.

"Shit!" I whispered. I crawled over to Rob's coat, grabbed my panties and slipped them on. "I'm going to need these since apparently I have to go kick some ass," I whispered to him.

"What are you doing?" He asked, in a panicked voice.

"I'll be OK. Stay here."

I slipped out of our box and walked silently to the next box, which housed the Prince. I knocked on the door, and the armed man opened it. The silencer that was standard issue for every MI6 gun ensured that only those in the box were aware that a shot was fired. As I stepped over the man lying on the floor, who now had a bullet from my gun buried in his head, the Prince's guards jumped up and came toward me.

"Stand down!" I hissed. "I'm MI6. Get his body in here and shut the door."

Luckily, they knew how to follow orders.

"You," I said, pointing to the larger guard, "Take off your jacket and shirt. And you," I said, pointing to the other one, "Take the shirt and mask off the body, and give it to your friend over there."

They did as they were told. "Now take his gun and stand where the rest of them can see you." To the other guard I said, "Take his blue tooth and listen to what is being said. Can either of you shoot one of those?" I said, pointing at the assault rifle.

The smaller man nodded.

"How well can you shoot?"

"I was first in my class," he replied.

"Do you have a cell phone and Blue tooth?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Give it to me."

He handed it to me, and I programmed it to an encrypted channel and handed it back to him.

"I'm Jordan. We are going to take out the men downstairs after I take out the rest of the men up here. You'll take the two in the back. Can you do that?"

He nodded and looked worried.

"What is your name?" I asked him.

"Davis," he said.

"Have you ever killed anyone?"

He shook his head.

"Davis, look me in the eye."

He did as I asked.

"When I order you to shoot those men, can you do it without hesitation?"

He nodded.

"One more thing. No one can know I was here. You never saw me, and you and your partner are going to be the heroes who saved everyone here." I looked at Prince Charles. "Are we clear on that, sir?"

"I never saw you, and my guards are heroes," he said.

I nodded. "Davis, come with me."

We went to each box. When the terrorist opened the door, I took him out and stepped aside, staying outside the box and out of view of the patrons inside. Davis entered the box and told one of the male patrons to put on the terrorist's shirt and mask and hold his gun where he could be seen from the stage.

When the other boxes were secured, we returned to the Prince's box and stopped outside the door. I turned to Davis. "I'm going back to my box because I'll have a clear shot at the men in the front. Get ready."

I returned to our box. Rob's look of relief was palpable.

"It's going to be OK," I tried to assure him. Rob handed me the rifle, and I told him to get down. I lay down on the floor and slipped the barrel of the gun through the curtain.

"Davis, are you ready?" I whispered into the Bluetooth.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied.

"On three," I said. "One. Two. Three."

The room exploded with gunshots followed by screams as the man center stage and one man in the back went down. I immediately took out the man on stage right, and just as the man who was stage left started to run, my bullet exploded into the back of his head. I swerved to be sure Davis had taken out the second man, and saw another dead body. I waited and scanned the room again to be sure we hadn't missed any other terrorists, but there was no one.

I called Dex and told him to send in the cavalry.

I heard a voice call out in the box next to us.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, your attention please," Prince Charles yelled.

The room immediately fell silent.

"Thanks to the bravery and quick thinking of my body guards, all of the terrorists have been killed. We are safe. Please exit the building calmly."

The audience burst into applause and cheers, some hugged and cried, and some raced for the door.

I felt a hand on my arm and turned to see Rob kneeling next to me. I crawled into his lap, and we held each other.

"This whole double-O thing didn't seem real to me before now. It was just this amusing side note that I was married to a spy. But now…Bella, you just saved hundreds of lives including the future King of England! And you're not even taking credit for it! I'm married to the most incredible woman on the planet!"

I smiled weakly at him and said, "We need to get out of here. I don't want to be photographed. It will be easier if no one even knows we were here. Dex is waiting for us by the side door. Let's go."

As soon as we walked through the door, Dex said, "Over here." He ushered us to a waiting car and slipped in beside us.

I suddenly felt completely drained. I curled up next to Rob and put my head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Bella, that was amazing work in there," Dex said.

"Yeah Dex. You trained me to be a killer, and that's what I did."

"Bella! What are you talking about? They were going to start killing everyone in there including you and your husband." Dex argued.

"That doesn't change the fact that I just ended the lives of six human beings as easily as if I were shooting at empty Coke cans on top of a fence post."

"Honey, they were monsters not human beings," Rob said.

"Were they? They hadn't killed anyone yet, and I have no idea what drove them to do what they did tonight."

"I do," Dex said. "They're part of the same extremist group that we're trying to infiltrate."

"The one in our box is still alive," I said.

"Good, we'll see what information we can get out of him," Dex said.

I thought about the lives I just ended, and tears welled in my eyes.

Dex looked at me. "Bella, they would have done it. They're animals. They would have shot the Prince and his wife and the moment they found out Rob and you were there, they would have killed you both. Your children would be orphans by now if you hadn't used your training."

I nodded and felt Rob's arms tighten around me.

"Bella, you're a double-O because you have a conscience. We don't train psychopathic killers and hand them a gun. We train people who are only going to use their license to kill when it is absolutely necessary to save innocent lives. None of us wants to end a life; but those of us who do choose to defend those who can't defend themselves. Only the brightest and the best are double-Os because we count on people like you to make the best possible choice when no perfect choice is available."

I looked at him and nodded. "Thanks, Dex."

I looked at Rob. "I want to stay at your parent's house. I need to see the kids."

"Oh God! I need to call them. They must be out of their minds since they knew we were at the theatre." He grabbed his phone. As soon as his Mom answered, he said, "We're OK." I could hear his Mom's relieved exclamations. "Mum, don't cry. We're fine, really," he said, smiling at me. "We're on our way to your house. After what happened, we want to be near the kids." I heard more worried noises coming from the phone. "Mum, we can sleep anywhere. We're so exhausted, we'll crash on the floor, don't worry about it, please!"

I smiled at him as he sighed and hung up. I looked at Dex. "I assume I don't need to call my parents?"

"No, your Dad is in the loop. He knows you're OK."

During the rest of our ride, I told Dex exactly what happened and that the Prince's guards were on board with being the night's heroes. He called one of the agents at the theatre and filled him in to ensure everyone was on the same page and that the press spin was consistent.

We arrived at Rob's parent's house. His Mom opened the door and threw her arms around both of us as tears filled her eyes. Rob smiled at her. "I thought I told you not to cry. We're OK."

"I know, that's why I'm crying! I'm so relieved to see you!"

We went upstairs to check on the kids. His Mom had converted Rob's old room into a grandchild guest room. Jordan was asleep in a fire truck toddler bed, and Kate was asleep in a Cinderella's coach bed. I knelt next to each of them and kissed their precious cheeks. Rob did the same before we went into his sister's old room, which now housed a crib for the twins. They were curled up next to each other. David was gently sucking on a pacifier, and Stephenie had her fingers in her mouth. Watching their peaceful sleep was exactly what I needed to reground me after tonight's ordeal.

I reluctantly followed Rob into the guest room. We got undressed and collapsed into bed. Rob was asleep before his head hit the pillow, but my mind would not stop racing. Every time I shut my eyes, I saw the dead men falling to my feet and their lifeless eyes staring back at me. I finally gave up, slipped on a bathrobe and went downstairs. I walked into the backyard and tried to let the night air calm me, but it wasn't helping.

I heard the door open behind me and turned to see my beautiful husband walking toward me wearing only his tux trousers. Even after the night I'd had, his shirtless chest still made my heart skip a beat.

He pulled me into his arms, and I rested my head on his chest.

"Hi," he said, as he kissed my hair.

"Hi," I whispered in reply.

"Anything I can do to help?" He asked.

"I see the eyes of the men I killed staring back at me every time I try to sleep."

He leaned back and gently held my face between his hands. "How about if you look into the eyes of someone whose life you _saved _tonight…someone who loves you more than he ever imagined was possible?"

I smiled, and he leaned down to kiss me. I let myself become lost in the feel of his lips against mine. Our tongues touched and explored each other's mouths. We stood in the darkness of his parent's backyard, making out like teenagers. His lips communicated an adoration and reverence that I desperately needed. Each kiss reminded me that I was worthy of this passionate love and helped to lesson how much I despised the part of me that could so easily kill another human being.

He ran his lips up my neck and whispered, "I love you, Bella Jordan Pattinson with all of my heart and soul." He untied my robe and slid his hands up my back as he pulled me tightly against his chest. As his lips met mine again, I heard a distinct 'click' from behind us.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered to Rob.

"Hear what?" He said as he continued to kiss my neck.

"Rob, stop. There's somebody out here." I retied my robe as he scanned the grounds behind me.

"Bella, how can there be anyone out there? The entire yard is fenced in."

"I know I heard something." Just then, I heard the clicking noise again, but this time, I was sure it came from above us.

"Honey, turn on the flood lights that are aimed up at the trees," I told him.

He reached inside the door and flipped a switch.

"I don't believe it," I said.

"What is it?" Rob asked.

I pointed to the photographer sitting in a tree.

"Can I go get my gun and shoot him?" I asked. "I swear I would have absolutely no remorse about killing _him_," I said.

"Well, you could, but it would blow your cover," Rob said, smiling.

The photographer brazenly continued to shoot pictures of us. I looked around the yard and saw just what I needed. I walked over to the faucet, turned the garden hose spigot up as far as it would go, unraveled the hose, and walked to the base of the tree. I took aim and 'fired' until the trespasser and his camera were drenched.

Rob fell on the grass laughing.

The photographer started to yell and swear, and the uproar woke Rob's parents. They came running into the yard, took one look at the scene in front of them and joined in laughing with Rob. The photographer was stuck in the tree because he had apparently kicked over the stepladder he used to get to the lower branches.

"Honey, your parent's fence is inside their property line, right?"

"Yes!" Rob and his parents all yelled in reply.

"And this tree is on your property, right?" I asked them.

"Yes!" They yelled again.

"Then I'd say this man is trespassing. Would one of you be so kind as to call the police so they can get him out of this tree and into a holding cell?"

"It would be my pleasure," Rob's Dad said as he walked back into the house.

A few hours later, I fell asleep after staring into my husband's eyes while he made love to me; but I laughed in my dreams when I looked into the eyes of the waterlogged photographer as he was hauled off to jail.


	13. Chapter 13  Some Enchanted Evening

**Chapter 13**

**A/N: **And now for a little lemony interlude. There are several pictures that go with this chapter. Visit my homepage to view them. Enjoy!

Tonight was our anniversary and Rob had told me earlier that he had a surprise for me. Mom and Clare showed up in the late afternoon and said they were "kidnapping" the children for the night. As I was buckling them all into car seats, Mom said,

"Wear the Ghesquière cocktail dress tonight, Bella. It will be perfect."

"Perfect for what, Mom?" I asked.

"Bella, if I told you, I'd have to kill you. Just wear the dress, and have a very happy anniversary."

"Thanks, Mom. I love you."

I watched them drive away and went inside to get ready. An hour later, I descended the staircase, just as the doorbell rang. A stretch limo was waiting outside. I called Ben, and he told me the driver and limo were cleared by security. I stepped inside, hoping to see my husband, but I was alone. A single red rose lay on the seat with a note. I opened it and read, _A rose by any other name would have to be called, 'Bella.' I will see you soon, and our enchanted evening will begin. All of my love, forever. R._

I inhaled deeply and sighed. _How did I get so lucky?_

The limo left the city lights behind, and we were presently moving through the silent and darkened countryside. We eventually turned onto a country lane that meandered its way along a stream. When we stopped, I looked out the window and gasped. We were parked at the entrance to a thirteenth century castle. My husband emerged from the main entrance and walked toward the limo. His chiseled features set against the backdrop of this scenery were too perfect to be real. _I must be dreaming again,_ I thought.

He smiled as he approached my door, opened it and reached out his hand for me. I stepped out of the limo, and he kissed me deeply until I broke away to catch my breath. He ran his hand along my cheek and said, "Happy Anniversary, my love. Welcome to Castle Pattinson."

"You bought a castle?" I said, incredulously.

He chuckled. "Only for the night."

"We have this entire place to ourselves?" I asked.

He nodded and smiled. "Let me show you around," he said as he took my hand and led me inside.

The castle truly was something out of a fairy tale. It was decorated with authentic period pieces that made it easy to imagine Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn walking the halls. He finished our tour in the dining room. The room was lit by the soft glow from an ancient stone fireplace. Instead of sitting at the elaborate and formal dining room table, which could easily sit two dozen, a small round table was set next to the fire.

After an exceptional meal that rivaled the best that the Cielo offered, the waiter placed a covered silver tray in front of me. When he whisked away the lid, I expected to see a decadent desert, but instead, I saw a small velvet box.

I glanced at my husband, who smiled and said, "Open it."

I flipped the lid up and gasped as an exquisite pair of sapphire and diamond earrings glinted in the firelight.

"Oh! These are from the Christie's auction! With everything going on, I completely forgot about it. How did you know I wanted these?"

"I didn't. The jeweler who sold me your engagement ring called me to tell me they were up for auction. He thought I would be interested since the cut and quality are so similar to your ring."

"I love them, honey. Thank you!" I took off the diamond studs I was currently wearing and slipped them into my bag and then put on the new earrings.

"How do they look?" I asked him.

"They look like they were made for you," he said, as he kissed me.

"I have something for you, too," I said.

I reached into my bag and handed him a small gift box. He opened it, and pulled out a key.

"And what is this key to?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

I stood up and motioned for him to follow me to the window. Rob peered outside and yelled, "No way!" And then bolted for the door. I laughed and followed him.

A Ferrari California sports car in grigio blue was parked in front of the castle. Rob sprinted through the main doorway and skidded to a stop as he ran his hand along the car's hood.

"Bella, I have been drooling over this car since it came out. I was going to wait until we went back to L.A., but this is perfect. It will be far more fun to drive it here than on a crowded freeway! He grabbed me and spun me around. "Thank you! I love it! Let's go for a drive."

He opened my door for me, and I stepped in and sat down. He leaned down and kissed me, then ran to the driver's side. As he spun out of the driveway, he asked, "How did you get it here?"

"Since Mom told me what to wear tonight, I realized she knew where we were going to be. So I asked her to have Dad drive it here. He took the limo back."

"I didn't think I could ever love a car more than my Porsche, but this car feels like it's an extension of me."

He drove up into the hills and then pulled off so we could watch the sun set over the valley.

"It's so beautiful here," I said, as I leaned against his shoulder.

He touched my cheek, so I turned to look at him, and then kissed me. "Yes, it is," he whispered, as he kissed me again.

We made out like teenagers until I asked, "Are we going to christen this new car tonight?"

"No! I have something else in mind," he said as he started the engine and headed back to the castle.

He opened the door and held out his hand for me and then led me back inside to a cozy room adjacent to the dining room. He sat down in an oversized armchair and pulled me into his lap.

"We never did have dessert," he said. He reached for a fresh strawberry sitting on the table next to us, dipped it in chocolate, and held it to my lips. I licked the chocolate, and bit into the strawberry as the juice dribbled down his fingers.

As I watched his tongue seductively lick the juice from his fingers, I pulled his hand to my mouth and finished the job for him.

He smiled and said, "Are you enjoying our anniversary so far?"

"If you hadn't been an actor, you could have been an event planner. This is perfect in every way. Thank you so much," I said, as I kissed him.

"This has been a fantasy of mine for years."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes. I've always wanted to whisk you away to a castle for an enchanted fairy tale evening. What about you?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you have any fantasies we should attempt to live out?" He asked.

"I live in a fairy tale. I have no need to fantasize," I said smiling.

"Oh come on," he said. "You can do better than that."

"Hmmm. Let me think...Well, I do have one, but I don't know how we could make it a reality."

"Try me," he said. "I can be very creative."

"I know!" I said, laughing. "I want you to make me come when we are in the middle of a very crowded dance floor."

"Wow, now there's a challenge!" He said smiling.

"I told you so. I don't see how we can make that happen, when we can't cross the street without being recognized."

"I really do love a challenge," he said conspiratorially.

"What other fantasies do you have, baby?" I asked him.

"Well, actually, there is something else I was hoping to try tonight."

"Do tell!" I prodded.

"Have you ever tried 'back door sex'?" He asked.

I shook my head. "I never understood the appeal for women. But I read recently that if a woman can relax, it can be an incredible experience."

"Mmhmm," he said as he ran his lips along my neck.

"So have you tried it?" I asked him.

"Mmhmm," he said again, still running his lips along my neck.

"And...?" I asked.

"And, one time, I was with someone who knew as little as I did about it, so it wasn't pleasurable for her, and we stopped. But another time, I was with someone quite experienced who told me how to proceed very carefully, and it was amazing."

"Why haven't you ever asked me about this before?" I asked.

"I was afraid of hurting you. But last week, a group of us were hanging out between shots, and the conversation got pretty raunchy. One of the female makeup artists asked one of the male artists, who is gay, what the appeal was. He got pretty graphic in his explanation, but I noticed practically everyone in the room hung on his every word," he said laughing.

"Ah, so you took notes?" I asked with a smirk.

"Most definitely," he replied.

"So what are we waiting for?" I asked.

He slipped his hand under my dress and said, "I thought you might like an appetizer before the main course? We're not on a crowded dance floor, but I'm certain I can still turn you on."

"Mmm, please," I sighed.

He dragged his fingers along my folds.

"So wet, already?"

"It's one of the hazards of being married to you. I live in a continuous state of arousal," I said as I ran my tongue along his lips.

His fingers suddenly plunged inside me, and I gasped.

"Look at me, baby," he demanded. "I want to see your gorgeous face when I make you come."

I stared into his eyes until I could no longer hold mine open. I moaned as softly as I could, since I knew there were staff nearby.

He pulled his fingers gently out of me and licked them slowly as he continued to stare into my eyes.

"Oh God," I whispered. "Please, let's go upstairs."

I stood up, and he grabbed my hand and led me to our room. Another roaring fire awaited us in the elaborately decadent Queen's suite. As soon as the door was shut, Rob pulled me to him, unzipped my dress, unhooked my bra and pushed my panties to the floor. He carried me to the bed and laid me on my back, and then dropped to his knees as his tongue picked up where his fingers left off. He knew exactly the right speed and pressure that almost instantly had me writhing and moaning beneath him.

When my spasms subsided, he pulled away and our eyes locked. I watched him as he unbuttoned his shirt and let it fall to the floor. Once he had stepped out of his pants, he stood before me, rock hard, and ran his hand along his cock. I moaned as I watched him, and moved one of my hands to my dripping clit while I squeezed the nipple on my breast with the other.

He opened the bedside table drawer and pulled out a condom and a tube of lubricant. He handed me the condom. Before I slid it on, I took him into my mouth, and he buried his fingers in my hair and pulled me closer as he watched me.

"Bella, there is nothing that turns me on more than watching you go down on me."

I met his eyes as I ran my tongue along the underside of his tip, and he groaned with pleasure.

I leaned back so I could roll the condom on to him and then coated it with lubricant.

He gently pushed me onto my back and put a pillow under my hips. As he leaned over me, he said, "Promise me you will tell me to stop if I'm hurting you."

"I promise, baby," I said as he kissed me.

"I'm going to go very slowly. I'll only enter you a little bit and then pull out to give your body a chance to relax and adjust, OK?"

I nodded.

He guided himself gently and slowly into my ass and then lightly started to stroke my clit again. He paused and gently withdrew.

"Are you OK?" He asked.

"Yes, keep going," I told him.

He slowly entered again, pushing a little farther. I focused on staying relaxed and was amazed at how good it felt. When he stopped and pulled out again, I told him,

"Don't pull out this time. It feels really good, baby. Just keep going."

He slowly slid back into me and continued working my clit. He pushed more deeply until he was buried all the way inside of me, and we both moaned with pleasure. One of his hands worked my clit while the fingers of his other hand plunged into my vagina.

"Oh my God, Bella, this is incredible. I can feel myself moving inside of you. It's so tight. God!" He gasped and moaned as he moved his hips.

I cried out in response as his fingers brought me to an earth shattering orgasm. The pressure from so much stimulation was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. My climax went on and on with one wave following another. I was lost in another world; every facet of my being was focused on the intense pleasure my husband's ministrations and thrusts were eliciting from my core. As he plunged deeply into me, my scream joined with his as he released.

He slowly pulled out of me and collapsed at my side. I rolled into his arms and we both lay, utterly spent, trying to catch our breaths.

"Bella," he finally gasped. "That was so far beyond anything I've ever experienced, I don't have words to describe it."

"I do," I said.

"What?" He asked.

"Why didn't we try this a very long time ago?"

He chuckled and kissed me.

**End Note:** Go take a cold shower. LOL! The next chapter gets back to spy business and is lemon-free so this one had to be super hot to get you through to more lemons in Chapter 15! That was a short chapter, so I'll post again soon! As always, thanks for reading, and I love you for reviewing!

At the beginning of this story, I said you didn't have to read my previous stories to follow this one. Well, that's no longer true. I got an idea that made me change this story's direction, and if you don't read, "The Vibration of Love," you'll be lost by Chapter 17 of this story. "Vibration," is a great story, so check it out! You still have a few weeks before I get to Chapter 17.


	14. Chapter 14 On Her Majesty's Secret Servi

**A/N:** Y'all know how much I LOVE hearing from you. I want to say a BIG thank you to my faithful reader/reviewer who sent the funniest review I've ever received after the last chapter. She said:

"Niiiice! I'd let Rob take me to a castle anytime! Hell, I'd let him take me to a White Castle! Tehe!"

That made my day/week/month! Thank you to all of you who review! I am addicted to them as well as Addicted2Twylyte!

**Chapter 14: On Her Majesty's Secret Service**

**BPOV**

I was sitting in Dex's London office at the MI6 headquarters.

"You and Rob are invited to a state dinner to be held next week. You'll be seated at the same table with Medina and Logan Mitchell, the cabinet member with ties to the terrorist organization. This is your chance to convince Medina to help us," Dex said.

"I understand," I replied. "What about Mitchell?"

"Do whatever it takes to gain his trust. Charm him until he invites you to his home or office. We need to start gathering intelligence on him as soon as possible, and you're our best chance of getting inside."

Dex provided me with a plethora of all the latest spy toys. Nano technology allowed for intelligent tracking and recording devices that were tiny enough to be embedded virtually anywhere. Once I was inside Mitchell's home or office, planting a bug would be child's play.

A larger hurdle was finding something to wear on such short notice. I smiled as I realized I was less concerned about facing Medina and Mitchell than I was about informing my mother that I needed a gown by next week.

"Bella, for once I wish you would give me a reasonable amount of time to find you something suitable to wear. I had less than a week to find your wedding dress, and now you are going to meet the Queen of England, and I'm only given a few days notice," my mother ranted.

"Sorry, Mom. If the fate of London were not at stake, I wouldn't burden you," I said with a smirk. "Oh, if possible, sapphire blue would be fabulous so I can wear the new earrings Rob gave me for our anniversary."

"Bella! You are incorrigible," she huffed.

I knew she was secretly thrilled to have the opportunity to dress me in the world's finest haute couture.

Two days later, my mother called to say my dress, along with a seamstress would meet us at our house at noon to fit me.

My mother knocked and let herself in a few minutes before the seamstress from Oscar de la Renta's salon arrived with my vintage sapphire blue gown.

"Mom, it's stunning! Thank you," I gushed as the seamstress pulled the dress from the garment bag.

The seamstress fitted the gown under my mother's hyper vigilant supervision and less than an hour later, she and the dress were whisked back to the salon to make the adjustments.

"Tell Rob to be home by 6:00 tonight. Someone will be by at 6:30 to fit his tux," Mom said on her way out the door.

"I'll tell him. Thank you again!" I yelled after her.

Several hours before the dinner, Rob's mom picked up the kids and took them to her house because my mom wanted to supervise the seamstress, hair stylist and make up artist she'd hired to get me ready. Rob arrived at the house an hour earlier than I'd expected. He walked into our bedroom, which now looked like the backstage at a fashion show, and leaned over to kiss me.

"No!" The makeup artist and hair designer said at once.

Rob froze.

"You'll smudge her lipstick!" The makeup artist yelled.

"Don't touch her hair!" The stylist shrieked.

I rolled my eyes, and he blew me a kiss.

"How did you manage to get away from the set so soon?" I asked him.

"Apparently, someone phoned Charles," he said as he glanced at my Mother who was hovering over the seamstress' final alterations, "and threatened him with his life if I was not home by 4:00, so here I am," he laughed. "I'd better go take a shower before Kelly gets out her whip."

"I heard that," my Mother chimed in. "Use the guest bathroom. Your tux is laid out in the guest bedroom, and your stylist will be here in five minutes."

"This is worse than our wedding day!" He pretended to grumble on his way out the door.

An hour later, we were both ready, and with my mother's blessing, we slid into the waiting limo. As we pulled away, Rob said,

"I do seem to recall that you know how to reapply lipstick, right?" He asked with a smirk.

"I certainly do," I said as I slid closer to him.

"Good, because I have no intention of going through this entire evening without kissing you," he said as he leaned toward me. "You look more beautiful than any day since our wedding day," he said as he brushed his lips along my ear.

"Thank you, baby. You look pretty scrumptious yourself."

"Scrumptious?" He laughed.

"As in good enough to eat," I said coyly.

"Oh, you're killing me!" He groaned.

"Speaking of killing, did you bring the gun Dad gave you?"

"Yes, but I wasn't expecting that tonight's event would require target practice."

"No, it shouldn't, but it is always good to be prepared. You're clear on your job tonight, right?" I asked him.

"Yes, I'm supposed to blast Logan Mitchell with my irresistible charm and charisma and secure an invitation to one of his parties," he replied with a smirk.

"You'll make such a good spy," I said as I leaned in to kiss him.

We arrived at the palace and our door was opened by a uniformed officer who said,

"Mr. and Mrs. Pattinson, please follow me."

He led us away from the entrance that the other guests were using, and I assumed they didn't want Rob's appearance to fluster the stodgy socialites and politicians waiting to enter the palace.

We followed the guard through a series of corridors until we entered an elaborately furnished sitting room.

"Please make yourselves comfortable," the guard said. "Her Majesty and Prince Charles will be with you shortly."

"Excuse me?" Rob and I said at the same time.

The guard appeared bemused. "I was under the impression that you knew you were to meet with their Royal Highnesses prior to the dinner?"

"No, we weren't informed," Rob replied.

"But of course, we are honored," I added.

The guard nodded and left the room.

"Oh my God!" I whispered.

"Why do you suppose they want to meet us?" He asked.

"She's probably a fan," I smiled.

As usual, he just rolled his eyes.

We waited anxiously for several minutes until the guard returned and announced, "Her Majesty the Queen and The Prince of Wales."

We stood. My mother had coached us in royal protocol since we expected to be introduced at some point during the evening. Rob bowed his head, and I curtsied.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pattinson, I arranged to meet you this evening in order to express my gratitude to you, for saving my son's and his wife's lives. I am in your debt, Mrs. Pattinson, and if there is anything that I or anyone on our staff can do to assist you in your current assignment, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me."

"Thank you, your Majesty. I could not have been successful without the help of the Prince's guards. They performed very admirably."

"Your humility only adds to your beauty, Mrs. Pattinson. Now, we all have a dinner to attend. These affairs are usually ghastly, but tonight, we shall have dancing, and I intend to feel far younger than my 80 plus years by having this young man escort me to the ball room and joining me for the first dance. I am a fan, you know, Mr. Pattinson."

"I'm honored, Your Majesty," Rob replied as he extended his arm to her.

"Mrs. Pattinson," Prince Charles said to me as he extended his arm, "Would you kindly do me the honor of the first dance?"

"Of course, Your Majesty," I said as I took his arm.

We followed a courier, the Queen and Rob through yet another series of long corridors until we heard, "Her Majesty, the Queen and the Prince of Wales accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pattinson."

We heard the murmurs of surprise throughout the room as we entered on the arms of the Royals. Of all the spot light moments I'd endured since being born to a rock star and super model and since my marriage to the _Sexiest Man Alive_, this moment far surpassed any in my "gold fish bowl" existence. The weight of the stares from hundreds of pairs of eyes was oppressive.

_Thank God I taught Rob how to waltz_, I thought, as the orchestra began to play. Protocol required that everyone in the room remain standing until the Queen sat down. Therefore, all eyes were upon us. I tried to relax and focus on the music. After what felt like days, the song ended. Prince Charles thanked me and kissed my hand. I saw Rob bow once again to the Queen, and then he was at my side. Since everyone was still staring at us, we said nothing and moved across the floor to our table with our 'game faces' firmly in place.

By the time we reached our table, everyone was seated. Rob pulled out my chair and held it while I sat down.

"That was quite an entrance," a heavily accented voice next to me said.

I turned to see Joe smiling back at me. He stood, took my hand and kissed it.

"Mrs. Pattinson, I am Jose Medina."

"Yes, I know," I replied.

He looked surprised.

"You're the ambassador to Columbia," I said, smiling.

"Ah, yes, so you follow politics?"

"Of course," I replied.

"May I have this next dance?" He asked.

"I would love to dance with you, Senore Joe," I said knowingly.

Once again, he registered shock, and his eyes held mine for a moment before he extended his arm. As I slipped my hand through the crook of his elbow, I glanced over my shoulder to see Rob turning on his charisma for Mitchell's benefit. _Good job, honey,_ I thought. _Maybe he will make a good James Bond after all._

Joe led me to the dance floor. Once we were expertly swaying in time to the music, he said,

"Only my closest associates use my nickname, Joe, Mrs. Pattinson. How did you know to call me that?"

I smiled at him. "They restored my memories, Joe."

He faltered, and I had to grip his hand tightly to keep from tripping.

"Keep smiling, Joe. We don't want to attract attention."

He complied and his political mask reappeared.

"Why would they do this?" He asked.

"Are you aware that the Afghani drug lords are funding a terrorist operation?"

"I heard rumors, but this is nothing new."

"What's new is that one of the extremist groups is in possession of a nuclear bomb and uranium. We believe they plan to detonate it in London sometime in the next five months."

Once again his step faltered.

"They restored your memories because they want my help?" He asked.

I nodded. "It's in your best interest to keep London in tact, isn't it? You don't want millions of customers disappearing with the push of a button, do you?" I said with a sarcastic edge.

"There is no need for you to convince me agent Jordan."

I raised my eyebrow. "Oh, Senore Joe, I _insist_ that you call me Bella."

"Excuse me, _Bella_, for my lapse, but what I meant to say is I am a man of my word, and I have not forgotten my promise to you."

"I'm so glad to hear that, Joe. How is your daughter?"

His face lit up, and genuine affection filled his eyes. "She has grown into a beautiful young woman. She attends your husband's alma mater."

"Harrodian? Good choice," I replied.

"Next year she'll attend Oxford. I'm very proud of her, and I have you to thank that she is here with me and thriving."

I nodded. "So you'll help us?"

"As I said, Bella, I keep my word."

His eyes grew dark.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Did they also restore Edward's memories?"

I nodded.

He swore in Spanish under his breath.

"What is it?"

He paused before answering, choosing his words carefully. "Edward has become like a son to me. Now we will be enemies once again."

"It doesn't have to be that way, Joe. They restored Edward's memories because they need the two of you to work together on this operation. Joe, if you and Edward pull this off, there will be no need for you to continue running your business. Pick a spot on the globe; choose a new name and a new face, and disappear. You'll have access to all your funds, and your daughter can either go with you or we'll guarantee her safety."

He was silent for a moment as we spun across the floor. Finally, he said, "This is a tempting offer, if only for the sake of my daughter. My business is the reason my wife is dead, and it almost killed Alessandra. I want her to have a chance at a normal life."

"And she'll have it. We have to succeed, Joe, and we need you to do it."

He looked into my eyes and nodded. "You have my word, Bella. I will do everything in my power to help."

"Good. I'm glad they didn't go to all the trouble of restoring my memories for nothing," I said with a smile.

The music stopped, and we returned to our table. Rob appeared to be engrossed in conversation with Mitchell, but they both looked up at me as I sat down.

"Honey, I'd like you to meet Logan Mitchell," Rob said.

I reached across Rob to shake Mitchell's hand. "Minister, it's a pleasure to meet you," I said, as I flashed my most brilliant smile in an attempt to dazzle him.

"Likewise, Mrs. Pattinson," he replied.

"Call me Bella, please, Minister."

"And you must call me Logan," he said, still holding my hand. "You are a very lucky man, Rob. Your wife is certainly one of the most beautiful women I have ever had the pleasure of meeting."

Rob brushed his fingers down my back and said, "I am lucky."

Logan reluctantly let go of my hand as Rob said, "The minister has invited us to his home for a party next weekend."

"Oh, that's wonderful," I gushed. "We need to get more connected on the London social circuit. This is perfect Logan. Thank you!"

"Oh the pleasure is all mine, Bella. There will be several other actors there." He started to run through the Who's Who of British stars. "Let's see, Judi Dench and Daniel Craig will be there. They're working on the latest James Bond movie. Cary Elwes and Rupert Everett are working on voice overs for an animated film. Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Grant are filming a comedy."

"I heard about that," Rob chimed in. "They play a father and son who don't see eye to eye."

"It sounds like a fun crowd," I added. "You know, Logan, I've lived most of my life in Los Angeles, but I'm a dual citizen. Now that we have a home here, I am painfully aware of my lack of education about how the British government works. Do you think you could give us a tour of Parliament sometime?"

"Of course! I'd like nothing more. Call my office on Monday, and I'll arrange a time."

"Thank you, Logan, that's very kind."

Our dinners arrived, and Rob gave my hand a reassuring squeeze before reaching for his fork. Now that our objectives for the evening were accomplished, I decided to relax and enjoy the event. After we finished the first course, I leaned toward Rob and said,

"I haven't had the opportunity to dance with you yet, Mr. Pattinson."

"A travesty that must be corrected immediately," he replied as he stood and took my hand.

As he began to lead me across the dance floor, I said,

"You know, every woman in this room is attempting to appear as if they aren't checking you out, but they are not very adept at hiding their lust," I said with a smirk.

"You're confused," he replied. "It's the men in this room that are blatantly checking _you_ out. But I can't blame them. You are beyond any man's wildest fantasy, Bella. And it's killing me to hold you in my arms and not ravish you. The way you look tonight…ravishing is definitely the word."

"There will be no need to ravish me," I said slyly.

"No?" He asked. "Why's that?"

"I'm yours."

The music ended, and even though it was against protocol, my gorgeous husband leaned down and gently kissed my lips before leading me back to our table.

Joe had slid over to Rob's chair and was engaged with Mitchell when we approached. The moment they looked up, their frozen political smiles returned.

"Excuse me, Mr. Pattinson for taking your seat," Joe said as he stood.

"It's not a problem, please continue your conversation," Rob replied.

"No, we were finished. By the way, I am Jose Medina," he said extending his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Rob replied as he shook his hand.

"I believe you know that my friends call me, Joe," he said with a knowing smile.

Rob nodded and said, "And please call me Rob."

During the next course, I glanced around the room and realized we were still the center of attention.

"Does anyone else feel like we are fish in a bowl, or is it my imagination?" I asked of those at our table.

"You and your husband are certainly the catch of the day," Logan laughed.

"I'm used to people staring at us, but usually they get bored by now and realize we chew our food just like everyone else."

"I think it's because of your entrance," Joe said. "What the Queen did was highly unusual."

"Oh, I see. She must be a very big fan, honey," I said winking at Rob.

"No, I think it's because she is very bored with these dinners and wanted to liven things up," he quipped in reply.

Mitchell stood and excused himself.

"Logan, are you going for a smoke?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

I saw Rob's eyebrow shoot up, but he quickly recovered and put his game face back in place.

"I'd be delighted," Mitchell replied.

I picked up my bag and followed Mitchell onto the balcony. As I pulled a cigarette case from my purse, I said, "I roll my own. Would you like one?"

Mitchell accepted, and lit my cigarette and then his. I watched as he inhaled deeply; I smiled knowing that a biomimetic nanoprobe was now embedded in the cell wall of his lungs. We chatted about the London social scene, and as we headed back inside, I pressed the side of my watch to send a signal to operations letting them know to activate Mitchell's tracking device. We would now know his exact location at all times.

Rob stood and held my chair for me. As I sat down, he whispered, "I thought you quit?"

"That was my last one, I promise," I said with a smile.


	15. Chapter 15 The Lemon Grove

**A/N: **

There was a delay in posting this for a couple of reasons. One is RL lemons versus FF lemons. To read more, visit my BLOG on my home page. Click my profile link (next to Edward's picture in the upper left corner of this page), and then click, 'Homepage.' From my website, click, 'BLOG.'

In addition to my RL lemons distracting me from writing, I am currently at the beach, and the WiFi connection is awful. But I managed to connect and get you your very lemony next chapter.

Since the last chapter was lemon-free, I'm making it up to you with this chapter which has, wait for it…FOUR lemons! And thus is aptly named…

**THE LEMON GROVE**

Rob was on the set and both of our mothers were visiting that morning. The three of us were sitting on the floor in the playroom surrounded by four children and an endless stream of toys strewn everywhere.

"You know, Bella, Kate really should start attending pre-school. She needs to socialize with other children her own age," my mom said.

"Kelly's right, Bella. There's an excellent pre-school near here. Rob's friend, Stu, has a little girl, Paige, who goes there, and they are happy with it," Clare added.

I watched Kate as she combed the hair of her Rapunzel doll and knew they were right. I'd been over-protective of her since the whole Cassandra incident when she was kidnapped as a baby. The thought of letting her out of my sight while she was with someone other than a family member made me want to dress her in a Kevlar body suit, but I knew she needed to be with children her age.

Mom scooted over next to me and put her arm around my shoulder. "I know it won't be easy for you to let her go, but why don't we try it. We could schedule a tour and bring Kate and see if she likes it there."

"Do you know if they'll allow a body guard to stay with her?" I asked.

"Yes, they are used to wealthy and famous people requiring extra security for their children," Rob's mom, Clare, said.

"You two did your homework, I see," I said with a smile. "Do we already have an appointment set up?"

"Ah, actually, we can go over there this afternoon when the other kids take a nap, if you'd like," Rob's mom said. "Kelly already agreed to stay here."

"Clearly I'm outnumbered," I sighed.

*****************

My little Linda Blair wanna-be stunned us all by gleefully skipping off to her 'Big-Girl' school three mornings a week. When Jordan saw how much fun his big sister was having at school, he insisted on going as well. This morning, I followed them into the building as they walked hand-in-hand in front of me. Kate loved her role as the worldly older sister and took it upon herself to escort Jordan to his classroom. I forced myself to turn around and walk back to the car, consoled by the knowledge that Fridge would keep a watchful eye on them. Other than their grand-parents, there was no one I trusted more to ensure our kids' safety. Fridge was there for the entire Cassandra fiasco and was as protective of the kids as we were.

Kate became BFFs with Paige. Stu and his wife, Alyson, and Kate had visited our house a few times for lunch and an afternoon of playtime for the girls. Today, Rob, Kate and I were going to their house while our moms stayed with the other kids.

As we were driving to their house, I asked Rob, "Isn't Stu your age?"

"Yes, why?" he asked.

"They have a teenage daughter. Did they get married really young?"

"No, Madison is Stu's niece. Her parents were killed in a car accident when she was Kate's age; Stu and Alyson adopted her."

"Oh my God. I didn't know that."

"They certainly don't make a big deal out of it. As far as they are concerned, she is their daughter in every way," he said.

As soon as we rang the bell, the door was thrown open by a squealing Paige who grabbed Kate's hand and said, "Come see my dolls!" They ran up the stairs and disappeared as Stu and Alyson walked into the entryway laughing and welcomed us inside.

As we sat down in the living room, I asked Alyson where Madison was.

"I'm surprised she's not down here," Stu chuckled.

I saw Alyson roll her eyes before she said, "Madison is thirteen and was just bitten by the _Twilight_ bug, pun intended. I had never seen her willingly pick up a book before. But all her friends were reading it, so she did, and for the past month, that's all she's done."

"I bought all the movies, of course," Stu said.

"And I appreciate that," Rob interjected with a laugh.

"Well, yeah, I had to see what all the fuss about you was! Anyway, she said she wasn't interested in vampires, so she never watched them. But I bet she's watched them all at least three times each in the past month!"

"Her room is now plastered with _Twilight_ posters," Alyson added.

"You know, I've heard they have treatment programs for people who are seriously addicted to Twilight," Rob joked.

"There's definitely a need for them!" I laughed.

Just then Kate came running down the stairs and into the living room. She ran up to Rob, grabbed his hand and said, "Daddy! Come quick!"

"What's wrong?" We all said, jumping up.

"Nothing's wrong," Kate said. "I have to show my Daddy something."

We all relaxed and smiled at each other as we followed Kate and Rob up the stairs.

Kate led Rob down the hall and into Madison's bedroom. The room was a shrine to all things _Twilight_. Virtually every inch of each wall was covered with posters, pictures and cut out magazine articles. The bed had a fleece throw with Rob and Kristen's picture from the _New Moon_ promos. Amidst the pile on her desk was an _Eclipse_ pen, a _Breaking Dawn_ notebook and the _Twilight_ journals. Her schoolbooks were overflowing from a Bella book bag; there was a throw pillow on a rocking chair with Taylor's picture. It was a _Twilight _mini-museum.

Poor Madison sat at her desk looking utterly mortified.

"Daddy! This is where all those pictures of you ended up!" Kate said with delight. "I want a room like this!"

"This is truly amazing," Rob said. He looked at Madison, and said, "Hi, Madison. I'm sorry we're barging in on you like this. Is it OK with you?"

She nodded and smiled.

"I've never seen a room like this. I didn't even know they made all of this stuff!" He said.

Kate ran over to the bed and pointed to the picture of Rob and Kristen. "So is this a picture of you and Aunt Kristen in a movie?" She asked Rob.

He picked her up. "Yes, that's how I met Aunt Kristen. We worked together on the movies based on the _Twilight_ books."

Kate looked at Madison. "Aunt Kristen is not my Mommy, though. She's my mommy," she said pointing to me.

"I know," Madison said. "You have a beautiful Mommy."

"Thank you, Madison," I said. "You're very sweet to let us invade your space like this."

"No worries," she replied.

Just then, Kate squealed and squirmed out of Rob's arms. She ran to a shelf and grabbed the Edward and Bella Barbie dolls. "Daddy! There are dolls that look like you and Aunt Kristen!"

"I know, isn't that weird," Rob laughed.

"Mommy! Aunt Kristen should see this room."

Everyone chuckled.

I smiled at Kate. "Do you think she would like it?"

"Oh yes! We should get her one of these dolls!"

"I think she has one," I told Kate.

"Then why didn't she ever show it to me?" Kate demanded.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask her the next time we talk," I replied.

Stu walked over to the corner. "Here's my favorite _Twilight_ related product. Every Londoner should have one." He popped open an umbrella which, of course, had a picture of Rob on it.

Stu handed it to me. "Where can I get one of these?" I laughed. "They just don't sell umbrellas in L.A., so I've never seen one before!"

"They don't make them anymore," Madison said. "I had to get it on eBay, but you can have it, if you want it."

"Oh Madison, you are incredibly generous, but I can't take your umbrella. I'll go on eBay and order one."

"Then you'll have your own Bella-brella," Rob joked.

We all groaned.

"Kate, come on! Let's go play," Paige said.

"Madison, can I play with your dolls?" Kate asked.

"Sure, Kate," Madison said smiling at her as she disappeared clutching the Bella and Edward Barbies. "Mr. Pattinson, would you mind signing one of the posters?"

"I'd be happy to," Rob said. Madison handed him a marker, and I watched him write, 'Madison, you have a great room! Best wishes, Rob Pattinson.'

As we walked back downstairs, Stu said to Rob, "So how surreal was that?"

"You can't even imagine," Rob said. "Wow. I've never seen a room like that before. I've heard the stories and have seen a lot of the stuff that's sold, but … Wow. It's so weird! I still feel like the same person that used to kick a football around with you. Part of my brain knows that those are pictures of me on your daughter's walls, but another part still can't wrap itself around how bizarre it all is."

"We've seen videos of you walking from a building to a car where you're surrounded by guards; there are so many flashes going off, it looks like a strobe light. How do you stand it?" Stu asked him.

"Those are the moments when I seriously consider walking away and never acting again. But then I pick up a fantastic script like, _Intrigue_, and I forget about all the craziness. I love acting. We've also managed to channel some of that craziness into causes that we really care about, so that helps me keep it in perspective."

Rob put his arm around me, and continued. "And thank God I met Bella when I did. I can't imagine how I would have stayed sane during those first few years after _Twilight_ came out if I didn't have her to keep me grounded."

"Bella, how do you cope with knowing millions of women and teenage girls are lusting after your husband?" Alyson asked.

"I still think I'm lucky he picked me," I said as I smiled at Rob. He just rolled his eyes.

"I'm the lucky one," he said as he kissed the top of my head.

"Wow, so the gooey way you two still appear love-struck isn't just an act for the press!" Stu laughed.

"No!" Rob and I both said.

"We just keep falling more deeply in love," I added.

Rob smiled at me.

"OK, you're inspiring. Ally, we need a romantic weekend get away!" Stu said winking at her.

"We'll be glad to let Paige and Madison stay with us over a weekend," I told them. "Kate would love it."

"We can't do that to you. You already have four kids!" Alyson replied.

"We have four kids, but we have to fight with their four grandparents to spend time with them," I replied. "We are blessed with parents who would spend every second with our kids if we let them. We also brought staff from the Cielo with us, so we don't have to do all the normal household chores."

"Yeah, we're about as spoiled as it gets," Rob chuckled. "So really, it wouldn't be an inconvenience at all."

Kate and Paige came running back into the room, so the adults' ability to have a conversation ended. But I saw a glint in Rob's eye and knew he wasn't going to let this go.

When we were getting ready for bed that night, he said, "Stu's birthday is coming up. I'm going to reserve the 'Castle Pattinson' for them. Would it be alright with you if the girls stayed here the weekend after next?"

"Of course," I replied. "That's a great idea," I called over my shoulder as I went into the bathroom. After I brushed my teeth, I returned to our room to find Rob in bed reading his script.

"Do you want me to help you run your lines?" I asked him.

"No, I'm good," he said, tossing the script on the floor. "I'd rather you run your lips along mine."

I locked our door, dropped my robe on the floor and crawled onto the bottom of the bed as I pushed his legs apart.

"How about if I run my lips along another part of your body?" I asked.

"That definitely works too," he said in a husky voice as he watched my every move.

I licked and kissed my way up the inside of his legs. I ran my tongue along the inside of his thighs until he was moaning, and I could see he was rock hard. I knelt between his legs, flipped my hair over and ran it back and forth across his length.

"Oh God," he gasped. "That feels amazing!"

I smiled at him and held his eyes as I lowered my mouth to his balls and gently took one into my mouth.

"Ah, Bella!" He moaned.

I stroked the area behind his balls, and was rewarded with another moan.

"Bella, I can't take it anymore!"

I ran my tongue up his length and circled it around the underside of his tip; his moans escalated to a point, that if I didn't know better, sounded like he was in pain instead of ecstasy. When I finally took him fully into my mouth, he cried out,

"God, yes! Don't stop!"

I did as he asked, and kept my lips wrapped tightly around him as I slid my mouth up and down. When I felt that he was close, I relaxed my throat and swallowed.

He screamed and arched into me as he exploded into my throat. When he relaxed, I slowly released him.

"Oh my God, Bella, what you do to me…God!" He pulled me into his arms and kissed me passionately. He leaned away and began planting kisses as he slowly worked his way down my body. By the time his tongue was teasing my belly button, I gently pulled his neck so his lips once again met mine.

"It doesn't have to be one for one, baby. I love making you come. Just let me take care of you sometimes. You don't always have to reciprocate, you know."

"But I love reciprocating," he said slyly.

"I know you do, which is why you are so incredible at it, but tonight, I just want you to relax and hold me. I know my turn will come, pun intended," I said smiling.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yes, just hold me."

I curled up in his arms, and he continued to plant small kisses on my neck and hair until we both drifted off to sleep.

In my dream, I was walking along the beach at night…

_I'm so glad to be back in L.A., I thought. I looked down and realized I was naked. I relished the sensual caress of the ocean's breeze on my skin._

When I looked up, Dex and Edward were walking toward me. I stopped walking as they approached. They said nothing as Dex circled behind me and ran his lips along my neck. He reached around and began lightly circling my nipples with his finger tips.

Edward's mouth met mine; our tongues entwined, and I heard him moan softly. His fingers ran the lengths of my folds and this time, it was me who moaned into his mouth. Edward dropped to his knees and the pleasure from his tongue's light flicker elicited more erotic moans from me.

"Bella," Dex whispered into my ear, "Say that you belong to us."

I shook my head. "No."

"Say it Bella," Edward said as he slid his fingers inside me.

"No! I belong to Rob!"

"No, you don't Bella," Dex said, as he squeezed my nipples.

"No! Stop! I belong to Rob! STOP!" I screamed as I sat up in bed.

"Bella, honey, what's wrong?" Rob said as he sat up next to me and pulled me into his arms.

I threw my arms around his neck. "Oh, thank God it was just a dream!"

"It's OK," he said, soothingly. He kissed my hair and held me tightly.

"I'm yours," I gasped.

"Of course you are, baby. What were you dreaming?"

I shook my head. "I don't want to talk about it. Just hold me."

We lay back down, and Rob kept me wrapped tightly in his arms.

"I'm only yours," I murmured again as I drifted off to sleep.

"Yes," he replied. "Forever."

**********************************************

I awoke to Dave Matthews singing the song Rob wrote for me, "You and Me Together." His iPhone alarm was set for 6:00 AM because he had an early call. I felt him kiss my cheek, heard him shut off the iPhone, and then head for the shower. When I heard the water start to run, the image of the Greek god I was married to soaping his body was more than enough to propel me from my sleepy fog and warm sheets.

I walked quietly into the bathroom and saw that his back was to me. He was reaching for the shampoo as I stepped into the shower.

"Please, allow me," I said, beating him to the bottle.

"I'm sorry I woke you," he said, smiling.

"But not that sorry," I said, as I watched him grow hard.

"No, actually, right now, I'm not sorry at all," he said as he grabbed my waist and pulled me against the soap covered body I had just been fantasizing about.

As our lips met, I massaged the shampoo into his hair, and he groaned. "You are definitely making this early call much easier to take," he said and then ran his lips down my neck.

I rinsed his hair, and then he ran his hands through my hair to wet it down, poured some shampoo into his palm and worked it into my scalp. I leaned my back against his chest, and he ground his hips against me.

"Please don't ever cut this hair," he said as his tongue circled my ear. "It is so goddamn sexy. I love it when you drag your hair over me right before you go down on me."

I laughed as I recalled kicking Colin's ass when he suggested cutting my hair.

"What's so funny?" Rob asked. He had moved on to the body wash, and was making sure my breasts were spotlessly clean.

"It's a story for another time," I said, as I turned around and first ran my hands over my soapy breasts and then slid them along his length.

He picked me up and sat me on a ledge that Alice had custom built into the shower's wall. Since Alice's brother, Edward and Rob share the same body, she knew _exactly_ the height to specify.

"Alice is a fucking genius," he said as his hips rocked into me.

"God, yes, she is," I gasped. I ran my teeth along his neck.

He leaned back and smiled. "So thinking of Alice makes you want to bite me?"

"Mmm, I always want to bite you, baby. Come here." I reached for his neck and pulled his mouth to mine. Our kisses were fierce and grew more passionate with every thrust of Rob's body.

"Baby, just like that," I gasped. "Please…don't….Ahhh…God!" I buried my head in his neck as my body spasmed with one wave after another.

Rob buried himself deeply in my core a final time as he pulled my hips tightly into his and moaned in release.

My lips found his again. "Good morning," I murmured.

"It's a very good morning," he smiled.

We finished our shower, and I quickly dried off, slipped on a robe and went downstairs to make coffee while Rob got dressed. I handed him a travel mug as he walked into the kitchen.

"Thank you," he said, taking a sip. "This morning is now absolutely perfect." He leaned down and kissed me. "Don't Jordan and Kate have pre-school today?" He asked.

I nodded.

"If I can talk Mum into taking the twins for a couple of hours, will you come have lunch with me?"

"That is an excellent idea," I said as I ran my finger down the front of his chest.

He grabbed my hand. "Don't start! I have to go!" He kissed my hand. "Hold that thought until lunch time. I love you."

"I love you. See you later."

After I got the kids dressed and fed and dropped Jordan and Kate at pre-school, I took Stephenie and David to the park for a walk. My phone rang while I was pushing the stroller. I stopped and looked at the caller ID.

"Hi Dex. Hold on. I need to put on my Bluetooth." A few seconds later, I was once again pushing the stroller while talking to my commanding officer and former lover. _God, my life is weird_, I laughed to myself.

"OK, Dex, what's up?"

"Edward has moved his base of operations to London. The story is that he and Joe had a falling out, and Edward has succeeded in taking over a significant amount of Joe's European drug trade. He's working now to go after some of the minor Asian and Afghani trade routes, and we expect this will catch the attention of the bigger game we're trying to land."

"Dex, that sounds pretty dangerous for Edward."

"That's why you're going to be his bodyguard."

"What?" I laughed.

"You need to make it appear that you and Edward are having an affair. Have a public fight with Rob, and let the rumors start flying that things are not going well in your marriage. Then we'll arrange for you to be photographed with Edward. We want the Afghanis to think you are his girlfriend. Then they won't be suspicious that you're hanging around him."

"Great, Dex," I said sarcastically. "Rob's going to love this plan."

"Sorry, honey, but it's the only plan we've got."

After we hung up, my mind returned to the dream I had last night. A chill went down my spine. The assignment to pose as Edward's girlfriend coming in the wake of the dream was too much of a coincidence. _Snap out of it_, I told myself. _It's just a dream._

************************

**RPOV**

The morning flew by. Charles was working like a man possessed, but so far, the dailies were brilliant. When he was on the set, he was more focused than any director I'd ever worked with.

"Alright, take a break everyone!" He yelled. "Rob, after lunch, Celine will be here, and we're going to shoot the movie within a movie scene."

"Which one?" I asked him.

It's the scene from "Never the Twain Shall Meet," where Tamea, who was originally played by Conchita, and is now, obviously, played by Celine, seduces Dan, who was played by Howard. Got it?"

"I've got it," I laughed. "Just have someone get me the pages to review."

I heard him bellow for one of his assistants as I turned to walk back to my trailer. As I approached, I noticed the door was ajar. _Good, Bella's already here,_ I thought. I opened the door, and stepped inside which was lit by the soft glow of candles.

"So, we're dining in for lunch?" I said, hoping Bella was waiting in the bedroom.

"Mmmhmm," was the soft reply I heard.

I smiled as I entered the bedroom and saw the outline of her body under the sheets. Her back was to me.

"You're wearing a new perfume?" I asked as I dropped my shirt to the floor.

"Mmmhmm," she said again.

I pushed the rest of my clothes to the floor and pulled back the sheet, as I was about to climb into bed, she rolled over, and I froze.

"CELINE, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?" I screamed at her.

**********************

**BPOV**

The security was tight around the set, but since Ben had hired the movie's entire security team, they ushered me through the gate and directed me to a parking spot close to Rob's trailer. I waved to a few of the crew as I made my way through the sea of cast trailers to Rob's custom motor home. I used my key to let myself in. The inside was lit by candles, and I smiled as I realized we would be dining in. However, my attention was immediately diverted to the woman's voice coming from the bedroom.

"I thought we should get to know each other a little better before we started work later today," Celine cooed.

"You thought wrong." Rob snarled. "Get the fuck out of here now!"

_Oh, this is the perfect setup for that public fight, _I thought.

Rob stormed out of the bedroom wearing only the pants from his costume. He stopped dead when he saw me. He started to speak, and I put my finger to my lips to silence him and motioned for him to come closer.

"We have to pretend to have a fight," I whispered.

He looked very confused and started to ask, "Why?" when I put my finger to his lips.

"Spy business. I know you didn't do anything, but play along. I'll explain later." Before he could respond I yelled, "Who's back there this time?" I pushed past him and charged into the bedroom.

Celine was still half naked.

"YOU BITCH!" I shrieked, and punched her eye hard enough to ensure that no amount of makeup would have her camera ready anytime soon.

She screamed and crumpled back on the bed, while she held her face and moaned.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY HUSBAND OR I'LL KILL YOU," I yelled as I stormed out of the bedroom.

I gave Rob the thumbs up and whispered, "Follow me and improvise."

"Bella...," he whispered.

"I'll explain later," I whispered in reply as I motioned for him to follow me out of the trailer.

I burst out of the door and saw several crew and cast members eating lunch nearby. _Perfect,_ I thought.

"HOW COULD YOU?" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

"Bella, I didn't do anything!" Rob yelled back.

"Jesus, Fucking Christ, Rob, you were NAKED. She was NAKED. She was in your BED. Do you think I'm blind as well as stupid?"

"I thought she was you."

"Is that the best you can come up with? She looks NOTHING like me!"

"The lights weren't on."

"Just stop lying now! You're only digging a deeper hole. I turned and began stomping toward my car."

"Wait!" Rob said, grabbing my arm.

I twisted my arm out of his grasp and made a dramatic show of slapping him, but held back, so my hand barely touched him; he played it to the hilt and grabbed his cheek as if I'd mortally wounded him.

"Don't touch me," I yelled. "And don't come home." I turned and ran to my car. I made sure my tires squealed to cement my dramatic departure.

Five minutes later, Rob called. "Baby, I'm sorry, let me explain," I said.

"Bella, I'm just a couple of minutes behind you. Stop somewhere where we can talk."

I looked around and saw an office park. One of the buildings appeared to be empty since its parking lot was deserted. I gave him the address.

"I'll be there in three minutes."

I parked, and stepped out of the car. I heard the Ferrari's roar before I saw it, and a moment later, he squealed to a stop in front of me. I opened the passenger door and sat down. I started to say, "Honey, I'm sorry…," but my words were cut off by his lips as he crushed them into mine. I kissed him back with as much passion and love as were possible to convey through a kiss. I knew he needed to be reassured that we were OK, and in this moment, words were not what he needed.

He slid his seat all the way back, and I climbed on top of him. We continued to frantically make out while we pulled at each other's clothing. He pushed my skirt out of the way while I reached down and freed him from the confines of the costume he was still wearing and pushed aside my thong as I slid him inside me. The heat built in our frenzied encounter until he gasped,

"Please… tell me nothing you said was real."

"Nothing...It's…Oh God, a cover. Yes, baby, don't stop. Just like that. Please! Ah! God!" I cried out as I buried my hands in his hair. He moaned into my neck, and I felt his body shudder in release.

"Bella, why?" He said between gasps for air.

I kissed my way up his neck to his lips.

"You won't like my answer," I said, kissing him again.

"I'll like it better than you thinking I was fucking Celine."

"True," I said with a smile as I collapsed back into my seat.

I told him what Dex had asked us to do and that my assignment as Edward's bodyguard meant I had to pose as his girlfriend.

"You're right. I don't like it."

"That's what I told Dex you'd say, and he didn't exactly give a shit."

"Ugh! This sucks!" He sighed with exasperation.

"Look at me," I said as I caressed his cheek. "There's only you. I'm yours, completely. It doesn't matter what the rest of the world thinks."

"But what about my parents or our friends? What if some kid at the pre-school says something to Kate and Jordan?"

"We'll say the same thing we said when the tabloids were relentless about you and Kristen. It's bullshit."

"But Dex wants you to be photographed with Edward."

"The story is that he is planning on buying one of Dad's hotels. This ties into his drug lord cover because if he were dealing, he'd have to have a place to launder the money. It also ties in perfectly to Logan Mitchell's bid to be Minister of Culture, Media and Sport since that department…"

"Oversees gambling," Rob finished my sentence for me.

"You catch on fast. Drug dealers need somewhere to launder their money, and there's no better place than a casino. Mitchell is pushing hard for the House of Lords to approve Vegas-style casinos."

"Which explains his ties to the terrorists," Rob added.

"Right. The terrorists fund their activities with drug sales. But all the cash does them little good unless they can find a way to funnel it into a bank account. Terrorism is big business. One of the reasons MI-6 and the CIA are working together on this is to combine their forensic accounting forces. They hope that an international team will more effectively find how the terrorists are channeling their cash back into legitimate businesses which then fund their activities."

"And they are also counting on you to get to Mitchell so they can monitor his activities and see if that points them in the right direction?" He asked.

"Portraying Leslie Howard has certainly honed your spy skills, honey," I teased.

"Speaking of portraying Howard…"

"You have to get back to the set," I said.

He nodded. "So what's my story when people ask me how we are doing?"

"Reply in a way such that your words indicate, "we're fine," but your tone suggests otherwise.

"Alright my beautiful double-O. I'll do it for you. By the way, in case someone asks, which one of your Dad's hotels is he selling?"

"The Lemon Grove," I replied.

"Why that one?"

"We acquired it when we purchased the Raja. They were both owned by the same holding company. The Raja caters to the same clientele as the Cielo. The Lemon Grove caters to a little wilder crowd. It's quite believable that it would appeal to Edward. Plus it already has a small casino."

He nodded and looked out the window.

"You're far too gorgeous to start developing frown lines at such a young age," I said taking his face in my hands so his gaze rested on me again. "What is it?"

"Your Dad already told me that failure isn't an option, so I know I can't stand in your way, but…" He pulled me against his chest.

"I know. I'm scared too," I said as I kissed him again. "But we'll do this together."

**END NOTES:** Who is your favorite FF author? I need some good beach reads.

Have you read "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner" yet? I listened to the audio version on the drive down to the beach and enjoyed it. Did you like it? 


	16. Chapter 16 The Big Bad Wolf

A/N: Hi everyone. Thank you for reading and reviewing! Sorry I haven't posted in awhile. Real life lemons continue to distract me! I love this chapter. It is loads of fun and a refreshing glass of lemonade for these hot summer days. Enjoy and tell me what you think!

**Chapter 16 – The Big Bad Wolf**

A few weeks after the Celine incident, I was on the phone with Randy and Steve when Rob burst into the kitchen with his laptop.

"Have you seen this?" He demanded.

I glanced at the monitor and saw an image of Celine looking like she'd just lost a prize fight. I nodded and handed him the newspaper's gossip section which had the same picture. The stories quoted Celine as saying that she planned to sue me for hitting her since she was now unable to work due to her black eye.

Today's stories reprinted the pictures of Rob and I fighting that had appeared the day immediately following the incident. On that day, the headlines screamed, "ROB CAUGHT CHEATING!" They also reprinted a photo taken of me talking to Edward at the Lemon Grove Casino that appeared in last week's paper. We were sitting very close to each other and laughing. That day's headline asked, "IS BELLA CHEATING NOW?" Today's headlines announced, "CELINE SUES BELLA!"

"She's crazy," Celine was quoted as saying. "Rob and I were simply rehearsing a scene. His wife stormed in, punched me and threatened to kill me!"

"Mum is brassed-off," Rob fumed.

"Brassed-off?" I asked.

"You live here now, Bella. Learn to speak the language," he said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes.

"It means pissed off, angry, mad…"

"OK, I get it."

I realized I should have warned Rob. I knew his Mom scanned the internet each day to see what was written about her son.

"I'm on with Randy and Steve," I told him.

I pressed the speaker button. "Guys, you're on speaker, and Rob is here." I looked at Rob. "They want to draft our press statement and response to Celine. Steve, counter-sue Celine."

"I like it, Bella. We'll sue her for the emotional trauma she inflicted on you, Rob and your families," Steve replied.

"Perfect," I said.

Rob just shook his head.

"And your statement?" Randy asked.

"Something like, 'no comment pending legal action," I replied.

"That's pretty tame," Randy said, sounding disappointed, "but you're the boss."

"I'm glad you've finally figured that out, Randy," I laughed.

"Bella, I figured that out the first time I saw your father look at you when you were two weeks old," Randy countered. "We'll talk to you later."

After I ended the call, Rob said,

"What am I supposed to tell Mum?"

"The first rule of spy lies is to keep it as close to the truth as possible. Tell her what Celine did, and that I walked in and heard you yell at her, so I knew you didn't do anything, and I decked Celine. What did you tell her about the pictures of us fighting?"

"I told her you were helping me with a scene, and someone took those shots without us knowing about it."

"And what about the picture of Edward and me?"

"I told her the same story we told Randy and Steve to release, that Edward is interested in buying the Lemon Grove."

"You're good at this," I said, smiling.

He didn't reply and focused his attention on the images on the laptop's monitor.

I shut the lid on the computer and put my arms around his waist. He continued to stare at the closed lid.

"Honey?"

"Hmm?" He murmured while his gaze remained firmly fixed on a monitor image that was no longer there.

I put my finger under his chin and turned his head so he met my eyes.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said as he turned toward the coffee pot.

"Don't do this," I said.

"Don't do what?"

"Don't shut me out. What's wrong?"

I smiled as I watched him add six teaspoons of sugar to his coffee.

"Honey?" I said.

He looked at me.

I walked over and took the spoon out of his hand. "You just put six spoonfuls of sugar in your coffee. I think maybe you are a little preoccupied?"

He looked at the cup, smiled and dumped the coffee into the sink. He poured another cup and then made a dramatic show of adding just one spoonful of sugar. I waited while he took a sip, hoping the caffeine would help him find the words he needed to convey what he was feeling.

"I'm struggling with what to say, Bella. I understand how important your mission is and what's at stake, so I continue to tell myself to get over it. But emotionally, it's really hard. I don't like pretending that things aren't OK between us. I don't like lying to Mum, and I most definitely don't like you posing as Edward's girlfriend. But there's nothing I can do about it."

I leaned against him and rested my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me, and I felt his lips brush my hair.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I know you do."

I'm sorry this is so hard on you. I wish I could just walk away or tell them to wipe my memories again. But if that were an option, would you really want me to?"

"Of course not," he replied.

I leaned away and brushed my fingers along his cheek. "Promise me that you won't hold this all inside. Keep telling me how you feel even if there's nothing we can do to change things."

He nodded. "I'll try."

"Because I'll do my best to reassure you that you are _everything_ to me." I pulled his neck toward me, and his lips met mine. I willed him to feel the deep love I felt flow through the passion in our kiss. My fingers tangled in his hair, and I moaned when his tongue traced the pulse that ran along my neck up to my ear.

"Mommy, are you and Daddy making love _again_?" I heard Kate ask with exasperation.

Rob leaned away and smiled at me.

"Good morning sweetie. No, we were just kissing this time." I replied. "What do you want for breakfast?" I quickly asked, hoping to divert her attention and prevent a slew of uncomfortable questions for which I would have no profound answers.

"Ice cream!" She laughed, knowing I would never let her have ice cream for breakfast.

"OK, that sounds good. Do you want eggs and bacon flavored ice cream today?" I asked with a smile.

"Yuck, Mommy! You're silly."

A short while later, as the kids were happily munching their breakfast, Rob pulled me into a corner of the kitchen and whispered,

"We have plans tonight."

"We do?" I asked.

"Mmhmm," he said in his conspiratorial tone. "Mum is taking this kids. It helped me convince her that everything was fine between you and me."

"Honey, you know we can't be seen in public right now. We've got to keep up the appearance that things aren't alright."

"Don't worry, I've got that covered," he said with a smirk.

"So I take it you aren't going to tell me what we're doing?"

"You take it right. Mum will pick up the kids at 7:00, and a car will pick you up at 8:00."

"Thank you," I said, and kissed him.

"You don't even know what we're doing. What are you thanking me for?"

"Because every time you have ever planned a surprise for me, I've loved it. So I'm sure I'll love this one. But more importantly, the amount of effort you put into finding ways for us to…" I searched for the word. "…just be us, tells me more than words ever could how much you love me."

"You're right about that," he said as he leaned in to kiss me. "I'll see you later."

He swept through the kitchen planting kisses on all the kids' heads, blew a kiss in my direction, and bolted out the door. I smiled as I heard the Ferrari's roar and watched Jordan grab his toy race car and make 'Vroom' noises to imitate his Dad's car.

A few hours later, Mom showed up with a garment bag.

"You've been shopping, I see," I said smiling.

"Actually, your husband has been shopping. I'm just the delivery service. This is your costume for tonight."

"My costume?" I asked her.

"You're going to a club that is having a costume party."

"Wow, he's a genius," I laughed.

I unzipped the bag, curious to see what I would be wearing tonight. I laughed as I saw a Little Red Riding Hood costume. The ensemble included a floor length hooded cape, a red eye mask, an extremely short dress and Jimmy Choo red stilettos. There was even a Victoria's Secret bag tucked in the garment bag. I peeked inside and saw a red bustier and crotchless panties.

"God, he thought of everything," I laughed.

It was easy to get caught up in the fun my kids' were having as we raced around the yard that afternoon. The excitement I felt about tonight overflowed as I acted as silly as they did and allowed myself to cut loose and have fun.

After Rob's Mom picked up the kids, I put on the costume, including the mask and hood and then curled my hair so it hung in long ringlets around my face. When I was done, I looked in the mirror and smiled. _No one will recognize me_, I thought. _This costume idea was bloody brilliant. Wait, did I just think, 'bloody?' I am learning the language after all! _I laughed out loud at my internal musings.

Precisely at 8:00, the car arrived. I stepped inside hoping to find Rob, but the car was empty.

"Where are we going?" I asked the driver.

"We'll rendez vous with another car in a parking garage in Kensington, ma'am."

A little while later, we pulled into a garage and drove to a floor that was deserted except for one car. We pulled up next to it, and I laughed as I saw a very sexy, yet furry wolf emerge.

He opened my car door, looked at me and pretended to growl.

"You definitely look good enough to eat," he said as he held out his fur covered paw.

"You're not so bad yourself. Did you have a makeup artist work on you? You look amazing."

"Yes, Frank started work on the mask a week ago. He took a mold of the upper part of my face, then painted it and glued the hair on. I told him I had to be able to easily make out with my wife _and_ not be recognized," he said as he bent to demonstrate that the mask left his lips' ability to drive me insane completely intact.

"Mmm, it's perfect," I said as I came up for air. I looked at his mask more closely. "The entire top of your head and your eyes are covered, so no one will know it's you. This is going to be a blast!"

"I told you I could be very creative," he said slyly. He opened the door of the other car, and I slid in. After he slipped in beside me and shut the door, I asked,

"So why two cars?"

"I wanted to be sure we weren't followed."

"Wow, honey, you've taken this _Intrigue_ part to a new level. You are an excellent operative!"

"I learned from the best, now come here," he growled.

"Oh, I like it when your inner wolf emerges," I said, climbing onto his lap.

He slid his hands under my skirt and pulled my ass into his hips. We made out wildly until the car stopped, and the driver knocked on the window.

I whimpered slightly at the interruption. "Can't we just tell him to drive around the block for awhile," I gasped as I ran my tongue up his neck.

"Not this time, baby. I have something else in mind."

I looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Remember our night in the castle?" He asked.

"Mmhmm," I said as I ran my tongue along the edge of his ear.

"Do you remember the fantasy you told me about?"

I froze. Suddenly it made sense. We would be anonymous. I had a long cape to wrap around us. We would be in a crowded dance club.

"Oh God," I gasped.

He smiled. "So do you still want to drive around the block, or do you want to go live out your fantasy?"

"Come on!" I said as I slid off of his lap.

"That's what I thought," he said with a laugh as he opened the door and held out his paw.

The line to get in wrapped around the building. As we made our way to the end of the line, I said,

"OK, so anonymity does have a down side."

"Does that mean you want to go? I can call the car back," he said, pretending to reach for his phone.

I pulled his hand away from his pocket. "Not a chance," I replied. "Get in line."

He pulled me close, and we kissed and chatted until we heard a woman in front of us say,

"Did you hear Rob Pattinson is making a movie here now?"

I smiled at Rob, and he rolled his eyes.

"Yes!" Another woman exclaimed. "Did you see _House Beautiful?_ It showed pictures of their London home. God! His wife is so lucky. She sleeps with him in a mansion every night!"

"Did you hear that?" Rob whispered in my ear. "You're a _very_ lucky woman."

"I already knew that, baby," I said as I kissed him.

"But did you see the latest gossip on them today? Supposedly his wife caught him sleeping with Celine Daniels, and now Celine is suing Bella because Bella gave her a black eye."

"The tabloids never leave those two alone. Why can't they just let them live their lives?" The woman's friend asked, coming to our defense.

"Yes, why indeed?" Rob whispered as he kissed my neck.

I continued to eavesdrop on the conversation about Rob. They were discussing the _Intrigue_ plot.

"Oh no, not another unhappy ending," the first woman said with a grimace. "I love watching Rob, but I can't take tragic endings. I just _hated_ the end of _Remember Me_!"

I looked at Rob and nodded. "She's got good taste," I said with a smile.

"Don't start _that_ again," he said with an eye roll.

We had many heated debates about the tragic ending of _Remember Me_ while he was working on it and after it came out. I had to agree with the woman in front of us. I love happy endings. Rob, however, like most actors, loves tragedies. I told him at the time that real life included enough tragedies, therefore we didn't need to be reminded of them while watching a movie. Obviously, he vehemently disagreed.

The women in front of us continued to provide an interesting peek into the thoughts behind Rob's truly fanatic fans.

"My husband still doesn't get my obsession with Rob," one woman said with a laugh. "I dragged him to all the _Twilight_ movies, which eventually he looked forward to because he figured out they made me horny!" The group laughed as if they knew _exactly_ what she meant.

"Honey, how sweet," I whispered to Rob. "Your sex appeal is adding spice to marriages across the globe."

"That's one distinction I could certainly live without," he whispered in reply.

I heard another woman chime in, "My husband always liked Jacob better than Edward."

"I think most guys like Jacob better than Edward," another woman in the group replied just as she caught my eye and realized I was eavesdropping.

"So what do you two think?" She asked me. "Are you _Twilight_ fans?"

"I loved the _Twilight _movies_,_" I replied.

"I thought they were OK," Rob said with a much heavier accent than the way he normally spoke.

"You see," the woman replied, "_Twilight_ is a chick thing." She looked at Rob. "Did you like Edward or Jacob better?" She asked him.

"Oh, definitely Jacob," he said. "Taylor Lautner was in much better shape, and he's a much better actor than Rob Pattinson."

I tried desperately not to laugh.

"Typical male," she said shaking her head. "What about you?" She asked me.

"I'm definitely Team Edward," I replied. "Rob Pattinson is the hottest thing I've ever seen, except for you, of course, honey," I said, as I kissed my Big Bad Wolf on the cheek.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Wow, nice costumes," she said, admiringly. "But you couldn't get him to dress as a vampire?"

"We've done the vampire thing," I replied. "It got old." I leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Although, he definitely has vampire stamina."

"Alright!" She laughed, as she looked admiringly at Rob.

As her attention returned to her friends, Rob whispered, "I'm sure I don't want to know what you told her?"

"Are you?" I asked slyly.

"OK, what did you tell her?"

I wrapped my cape around his waist and pulled his hips into mine. "I told her that you have vampire stamina."

"Mmm, I'm glad you think so," he said as his lips met mine.

His passionate kiss made me anxious to get inside the club. "I'm tired of waiting for my fantasy to become reality," I said as I pulled my phone out of my bag. I sent a text to the concierge at the Raja explaining our predicament. Within minutes, I saw the bouncer check his phone and then motion for us to step to the front of the line. He slipped a VIP wristband on each of us and let us into the club.

"I love you and all of your contacts," he said as we stepped inside the club.

"This reminds me of the night I danced with you at the Goblet of Fire party," I said into his ear. "No tequila for you tonight."

"Definitely not," he laughed.

He pulled me onto the dance floor, and we both turned it on. His innate sense of rhythm combined with an athletic body meant he was a natural. He matched every move I made until I noticed we had an audience. _This isn't good, _ I thought. I stopped showing off, and pressed my body next to his.

"We're too good," I said, smiling next to his ear. "I don't want an audience."

"Mmm, not tonight," he said as he slid his hand under my cape and dress and then down my ass.

"Oh God," I moaned against his neck.

A slow song began, and he crushed his hips into mine, and I wrapped my cape around us.

He ran his lips along my neck until they met my mouth and our tongues danced with each other.

He broke our kiss and licked his way to my ear and said, "Now I'm going to make your fantasy a reality."

I whimpered in response as he slipped his fingers through the panties' crotchless opening and gently started circling my clit.

"Oh my God, don't stop," I gasped.

Our mouths found each other again; our kisses expressed the frenzied passion we felt from our secret encounter.

As his fingers continued stroking me, I felt the tension build and buried my face in his neck as I gasped and moaned.

I leaned against him once I'd come down, barely able to stand.

"Did you enjoy that," he said into my ear.

I leaned back and grabbed his face and pulled his mouth to mine.

"That was in-fucking-credible," I gasped. "Thank you!" I grabbed his hand. "Your turn."

He raised an eyebrow, smiled and followed me to the VIP lounge. I led him to the luxuriously large bathroom, pushed him onto the closed toilet seat, unzipped his fly, and lowered my crotchless pantied body onto his. He moaned as he grabbed my hips and pulled me to him until he was completely buried inside me.

"God, Bella! You are so fucking sexy."

I rode him fast and hard and within minutes, he threw his head back and gasped in an attempt to stifle the scream I knew he wanted to release.

"God, baby! This was supposed to be your fantasy, but ...God!" We held each other for a few more minutes, and then straightened our costumes and unlocked the door to leave.

The doorknob turned in my hand, and a man forced his way into the room; he grabbed me and pointed a gun to my neck as he kicked the door shut.

"My wallet's in my pocket, and her jewelry is worth a fortune. Just take what you want and go," Rob said.

I knew immediately that he wasn't interested in stealing anything. He confirmed my suspicions.

"I'm not here to steal your baubles," he hissed. "I'm here," he said looking at me, "Because your boyfriend is crossing the line."

"What are you talking about?" I asked him.

He laughed. "Even with a gun pointed at your head you're continuing the charade for your old man, here? I guess you could keep him in the dark as long as you distract him with a quick shag in the loo." He stopped laughing and pulled my hair so my neck arched toward him. "You know damn well what I'm talking about. You've been in and out of his apartment and meeting him at that casino."

"What do you want?" I asked him.

"I want you to tell Culklen that if he's planning on taking over the South American traffic, that's one thing, but if he continues to cross the line and dick with the Asian trade, he's going to find you in his trunk, cut up into tiny pieces."

I nodded. He lowered his gun and made my job child's play when he turned his back to me and reached for the door. I kicked the gun from his hand then instantly followed up with a kick that broke his leg. As he crumpled to the floor, I punched his windpipe just hard enough to render him unconscious.

"I was wondering when you were going to do that," Rob said with a smirk. "Why is he still breathing?"

"I need him alive. He's going to lead us to his boss. He's just an errand boy." I grabbed a syringe from my bag and injected the unconscious man.

"What did you give him?" Rob asked.

"It's a tracking device. It's the same premise as the microchips that vets inject into pets in case they are lost. Except this animal now has a nanoscopic GPS device circulating in his blood stream. We can monitor his every move."

I called Dex and filled him in. "He'll be out for awhile longer, but go ahead and have Ops activate his GPS tracker. Dex, I'm putting you on speaker." I pressed the speaker button on my phone. "Honey, which car service did you use?"

"I don't know. I had Karen arrange it. I thought I was being so bloody brilliant by ordering the two cars."

"It's not your fault, baby. Dex, sweep Rob's and his assistant's offices, check their phone, and then order them company cells, please."

"Already on it, Bella."

"Good, and you'd better send a car for us since the service we used can't be trusted."

"It's already on its way, my dear."

"Thanks, Dex."

"And Bella, try not to kill Celine Daniels," he said with a laugh.

"Don't make me kick your ass too, Dex."

"Yeah, as if you could."

"Good-night, Dex," I said, ending the call.

"How did he find us?" Rob asked as he glanced at the crumpled body on the floor.

"The most likely scenario is he tapped into your cell phone and then got to someone at the car service. Dex will get you and Karen encrypted cells. Just tell her it's to keep the tabloids from picking up your calls."

Rob nodded.

"Well, I think we've had enough excitement for one night. Are you ready to go home?" I asked him.

He stepped over the unconscious man, looked at me slyly and gently pushed me against the door. "Absolutely not. Do you know how fucking _hot_ it is to watch you in action?" He reached behind me and locked the door then dropped to his knees and pushed my dress out of the way. I laced my fingers in his hair as he wildly flicked his tongue over my already engorged and very slippery clit. In less than a minute, I was gasping and pushed him away as I reached the point where the pleasure became too much. He picked me up and set me back down on the counter. I unzipped his fly, and he was immediately buried inside of me. I wrapped my legs tightly around him and clung to his neck. He leaned into me and braced himself on the wall behind me while looking into my eyes. He drove himself so deeply and roughly into me that my body bumped the wall with each thrust. I loved this raw and animalistic inner wolf side to him. His pace quickened and just when I thought it was impossible for him to bury himself any deeper, his final thrust had such force that the wall behind me shook as I slid into it. He threw his head back and moaned, "Fuck, Bella!"

Once he stopped pulsing inside me, he lowered his gaze to my eyes again, and we both burst out laughing.

"Oh my God!" We both gasped at the same time.

"Are you OK?" He asked.

"OK? Holy shit, Rob, I'm way better than OK!"

"That's not what I meant," he smiled. "I got kind of carried away at the end, and I was afraid I hurt you when you hit the wall."

"I definitely couldn't be better, baby," I said as I pulled his lips to mine.

As we kissed, someone started pounding on the door. "Enough shagging already! Some of us actually need to use the loo!"

We started laughing and straightened out our costumes once again. As I opened the door, I said to the woman who had pounded on the door, "Sorry about the mess in there. Our friend had way too much to drink."

She peered inside and saw the unconscious man. "Bloody hell! I can't pee with him in there!"

"Sorry," I yelled over my shoulder. We laughed all the way to our waiting car.


	17. Chapter 17 The Twilight Zone

**A/N: If you haven't read my 3****rd**** story, "The Vibration of Love," I highly recommend that you take a break from this story and go back and read that one before reading this next chapter. Otherwise you will be hopelessly lost. It's my best story. You'll like it, I promise! **

**Chapter 17**

**Welcome Back to the Twilight Zone**

**BPOV**

Much to Rob's chagrin**, **I was spending yet another night on the arm of his nemesis, Edward. The paparazzi thought Christmas had arrived early. There were always a few lurkers near the entrance to our gated driveway. When Rob and I went out together or with the kids and didn't want to be followed, we had security drive us. Another security team always followed us and usually managed to cut off the pap's attempts to ruin our outing.

However, for the past few weeks, I drove alone to ensure that my every move was documented for the following day's tabloids.

At the moment, I was driving to meet Edward at the Lemon Grove's casino. I checked the rear view mirror and smiled as I saw the headlights of my shadow paps. They were performing as if following their cue from one of Rob's scripts.

I pulled into the Lemon Grove's garage and parked next to my father's space near the executive entrance. Dad, Dex and Edward were waiting in Dad's office. Three pairs of eyes lingered on my legs when I walked in.

"Hi Dad," I said, leaning over to kiss his cheek.

"I'm surprised Rob let you out of his site in _that_ outfit," Dad said, sarcastically.

"Well, actually, I snuck out while he was giving the kids a bath. I didn't see any point in torturing him."

"Good thinking," Dad chuckled.

I turned to Dex and Edward. "What's up fellow spy dudes?"

Dex rolled his eyes. "Have a seat, Bella."

"My aren't you grumpy tonight," I said as I took a seat next to Edward at the conference table.

Dex opened a folder and pushed a picture in front of me. "He's why I'm grumpy."

I glanced at the picture, and felt a chill run down my spine. By any standards, the man pictured would be considered handsome. His dark skin, black hair and chiseled features would catch the attention of any casting agent. But the glare from the pair of black eyes staring out from the photo was what sent a shiver through me. There was no doubt in my mind that this man was pure evil. As I continued to look at the eyes staring back at me, I was sure I had seen him before, but I couldn't remember where.

I forced my gaze back to Dex. "He looks familiar. Who is he?"

He pushed the folder toward me as he said, "Your friend from the costume party lead us to him. His name is some unpronounceable twenty-eight character string in English, so he uses the nickname Kai. He's fairly new on our drug traffic radar, but he moved his way up the chain of command, so to speak, very quickly. Our intelligence reports, and Joe confirmed, that he is the public face for someone much more powerful. We believe his boss controls most of the drug market, arms smuggling and money laundering for the trade between Asia and the U.K. All indications are that he's not part of the terrorist group, but all sources, including Joe, are sure that his boss is doing business with them. Your assignment," he said, looking at me and then Edward, "is to get as close to him as possible. We need to find out who he's working for."

I nodded and scanned the folder.

"He's here," Edward said.

"You invited him after he had his lackey threaten to cut me into little pieces?" I asked.

He nodded. "I called him and told him I thought a joint venture was in his best interest and that hacking up my girlfriend was not. He was rattled that I found him so easily, and I'm sure that's a large part of why he agreed to meet so readily. The other reason he agreed is he needs someplace to launder his cash, and the casino is tempting."

"So you led him to believe that you were interested in partnering to buy the Lemon Grove?" I asked.

"Right. He's waiting for me in the high stakes blackjack room now."

I stood up. "What are we waiting for? Let's go catch a bad guy."

"Here, take these," Dex said, as he pushed an earpiece and mic across the table. Edward clipped the tiny mic under the lapel of his jacket, and I slipped on the earpiece.

Dad stood up and kissed my cheek. "Be careful, honey."

"I always am, Dad."

Edward and I took the elevator to the lobby. When the doors opened, I spotted my paparazzi tailgaters at the bar.

"Game on," I whispered to Edward.

Edward guided me toward the bar with his hand on my bare back. I threw him an adoring look and saw a flash go off. I turned toward the camera with mock surprise, and glared at the photographer who was now fleeing the scene.

"Come on," I said, loud enough for the benefit of the other paps. I turned toward the casino's entrance, and Edward closely followed.

"Hey Bella! Where's Rob?" One of the paps yelled after us. I nodded toward a security guard who lead the heckler outside.

"They perform right on cue," I whispered to Edward.

Edward nodded and winked at me. We worked our way across the casino floor to a guarded door at the back of the room. The guard opened the door and stepped aside to let us enter. The room was a sharp contrast to the one we just left. The jarring din and neon glare were replaced by muffled whispers and a soft glow from the individual lamps on each blackjack table. This room followed the Vegas rule that what happened in here stayed in here. The minimum bet was 50,000 pounds which guaranteed the clientele were not here to name drop or gossip.

I noticed Edward nod toward one of the tables and followed his gaze. My eyes locked with Kai's. I unconsciously reached for Edward's hand. Kai's gaze continued to bore into me, and I resisted the urge to flee from the room.

Edward led me to the bar and ordered for us. We played the part of clandestine lovers. We sat facing each other; I brushed my fingers along his arm, and he played with my hair; he kissed my fingertips, and I smiled, leaned forward and whispered, "What's the plan?"

He smiled as if I had just said something wickedly funny and leaned in as if to kiss my neck. "I'm going to play at his table when they break. Can you hear me through the earpiece."

I nodded and smiled. The game ended. Kai stood and made his way toward us.

"Edward," he said, as he nodded in greeting.

"Kai," Edward nodded in reply. "This is Bella."

"And this is the man who threatened to chop me into little pieces?" I asked, staring at Kai.

"Just a misunderstanding Mrs. Pattinson. I'm terribly sorry about that."

"I'm sure, Kai, and please call me Bella."

"I'm a huge fan of your father's, Bella, and more importantly, an admirer of his hotels."

"So I understand from Edward," I replied.

"I hope you'll give me a tour later," he said in a suggestive tone that made Edward tense at my side.

"Edward and I will be glad to show you around," I said, squeezing Edward's hand harder than necessary.

"I'm looking forward to it. Edward, are you going to join us at the table?" Kai asked without taking his eyes off of me.

"I'll be right there," Edward replied.

Kai nodded. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Bella_._"

"Likewise, Kai."

Edward put his arm around my waist and pulled me close. He leaned down and whispered, "I don't like the way he was leering at you."

"I'm a big girl, Edward. I'm _your_ bodyguard, remember?"

"I know that, but I still don't like that he threatened you or how he stared at you."

"I know I've met him before, but I can't figure out where it was. It's driving me crazy," I said, glancing at Kai again.

"Maybe it was while you were undercover before they wiped your memories," Edward guessed.

"Maybe," I said, not convinced.

"I have to join the game. I'm going to kiss you, so don't hit me," he said, smiling.

His lips met mine for what I thought was much longer than necessary to qualify as a public display of affection, but I could hardly argue with him about it now. "I'm going to kick your ass later," I whispered, and then smiled at him with a look of radiant adoration.

He chuckled and walked to the table.

After the first hand was dealt, I overheard Kai on Edward's mic say, "So, Edward, tell me. Do you always date the wives of other men?"

"No, Kai, I don't. But for someone as beautiful as Bella, I made an exception. It's not often that one has the opportunity to make love to a goddess."

I tried not to choke on the diet coke I had just sipped and saw Edward trying to suppress a laugh.

"So if we become business partners, does that mean I get to share your mistress as well as your casino?"

I saw Edward shoot Kai a look that was filled with fury.

Kai chuckled. "Ahh, apparently not. I wouldn't share her either if I were you. Her husband is a fool."

"He's a fool that sleeps with all of his leading ladies," Edward added. "But I feel indebted to Rob. If he wasn't so unfaithful, his wife would be home with him tonight instead of here with me."

This was becoming too much to bear. _Come on, Edward,_ I thought. _We're hear to learn about terrorists, not trade barbs about my mythic unfaithful husband._

I heard the door open behind me. Kai looked up, and his expression instantly changed from one of amused boredom to terror. I glanced over my shoulder to see who had caused his sudden shift. A man with long dark hair and a closely trimmed, thick beard who was dressed completely in black, including his leather jacket and sunglasses, was striding confidently toward me. There was something very familiar about him, but I couldn't place him either.

"Ah, if it isn't the lovely Mrs. Pattinson," the stranger said, as he stopped in front of me and kissed my hand.

"Michael?" I gasped.

He smiled and took off his sunglasses.

"You look so different, I didn't know it was you."

Before he could reply, Edward was at my side.

"Bella, who's your friend?" He asked.

"Edward, this is Michael Sheen. He's the actor who played Aro in the _Twilight_ series."

Edward held out his hand and said, "It's nice to meet you. I'm a fan of your work."

Michael gripped Edward's hand while continuing to look at me. He held Edward's hand until Edward jerked it away. A knowing smirk appeared on Michael's face.

"Michael? What's wrong?" I asked.

He stared for another moment and said, "Come now Isabella, let's stop with the charade, shall we?"

He was speaking in the same accent and voice inflection he used to portray Aro, and suddenly, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I was having déjà vu. I flashed back to the morning last year when I awoke to find Rob in costume and make up as the _Twilight _Edward, speaking in the voice and accent he used to portray the vampire who made him a superstar. At first I thought I was dreaming, then I realized I was looking at the _actual _vampire, Edward, and not my husband. _Could Aro have figured out how to shift into our world just like Alice is shifting?_

I stared back at him. "Aro?" I finally asked.

He clapped his hands together and roared with laughter. "Oh I knew you'd figure it out right away! You're such a clever girl. Come now, let's adjourn to somewhere private. We have so much to talk about."

With that, he turned and walked toward the door. I stood to follow him, and Edward grabbed my arm.

"What's going on?" He demanded.

"I can't possibly explain it all now. I need to follow him."

"Then I'm coming with you," he replied.

Aro turned and said, "Leave your fake boyfriend here," and then kept walking.

"You're not going alone with him," Edward seethed.

"I'll be fine. Go back and see what you can find out from Kai." As I glanced at Kai, I froze. I suddenly realized where I'd seen him before. "_Breaking Dawn_," I gasped.

"What?" Edward asked.

"He was an extra in the movie, _Breaking Dawn._ He played one of the Volturi guard. Oh my god!"

"Isabella, I haven't got all night," Aro called from the doorway.

"Edward, I have to go."

Edward reluctantly let go of my arm, and I followed Aro as he swept across the casino floor and joined him as he stepped into the elevator bank that led to the high stakes players' suites. We rode silently. I glanced at Aro, and he looked extremely pleased with himself. The elevator doors opened, and Aro held out his hand, gesturing for me to disembark. As I did so, I glanced up to see a very tall man standing guard at one of the doors. I gasped.

"Charlie too! Aro, what the fuck are you up to?"

"Come now Isabella, there's no need for such language. Let's keep this civilized. Please join me in my suite."

Charlie or Demetri or whoever the hell he was opened the door and stepped aside as we entered.

Aro gestured for me to sit down. As I took a seat on the sofa, he asked,

"May I get you a drink, my dear?"

"No thank you," I replied curtly.

"I hope you don't mind if I indulge in some of your hotel's fine wine selection." He poured a glass of Brunello di Montalcino, took a sip and released a sigh that indicated he had just experienced liquid nirvana.

I couldn't help but smile at his reaction. "Better than blood?" I asked.

"Oh, my dear Isabella, this particular wine comes very close. It's been so long since I could enjoy such a simple pleasure."

He took another sip, smiled and sat down next to me. He stared at me for several moments.

"You look so much like her, but it's so clear to me that you are not her."

"You're talking about Bella Swan?" I asked.

"Bella Cullen," he corrected.

"Yes, of course." I replied.

"You look similar to what she looked like as a human. But you have a confidence our Bella is still struggling to obtain."

"Aro, I doubt you are here because you're interested in comparing my existence to Bella Cullen's human existence. Why are you here, and why did you bring Volturi guards?"

"Well, to answer the latter first, I never go anywhere without Volturi guards. That just wouldn't be good for my image. As for the former, I'm here because it is so interesting to me to be here. Do you have any idea how bored I've become after living in my same old tired world for thousands of years? There's a whole new world to conquer here!"

"What exactly do you mean by conquer?" I asked him.

"Oh, Isabella, it's just a figure of speech."

"So you're just visiting?" I asked.

"Oh no! I plan to stay."

"What do you mean, 'you plan to stay?' What about Michael?"

"What about him? I'm sure he's enjoying the use of my more than adequate body. I told the Volturi to take good care of him."

"You truly are insane! You can't just kidnap someone's body! He has a life here, with a wife and children! And what about Charlie and that actor whose body Kai stole?"

"Bella, really, you're so dramatic. You certainly have that in common with our Bella."

"She's hardly _your_ Bella. She's part of the Cullen family."

"I think of all the vampires in my world as part of my family, my dear. It's my job to take care of them."

"And how are you going to do that from here?" I demanded.

"The Volturi can manage without me for a short while. This body will only be worth using for another 20 or 30 years, which is a blink of an eye when one is immortal."

"I should have realized that someone who has spent thousands of years draining the life from humans for breakfast, lunch and dinner that you would not value the lives you are stealing in this world."

"Bella, come now, we don't eat three times a day like you humans do."

"That's hardly my point, Aro. But since you mentioned it, what _are_ you eating while you're here?"

"Very rare beef. But it just isn't satisfying. There's so many things I miss about my vampire existence, and I intend to find a way to transfer them to this world."

"Did your gift follow you to this reality? You seemed to be able to read Edward's thoughts since you realized he was not really my boyfriend."

"Apparently only a small part of my gift is tied to my consciousness. I am only able to read a person's most recent memories. That is an inconvenience I just can not tolerate."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I intend to have full use of my gift and the other reality's superior vampire mind and body when I shift to this world."

"How do you intend to do that?" I asked.

"Now _that is_ the question, isn't it, my dear?"

I waited through his dramatic pause for effect.

"The Cullen's friend, Stephen, and his counterpart in your world are helping me."

"That's impossible! Why would they help you?" I demanded.

"Because if they don't, I'll blow up London."

I gasped. "It's you? You're the one we've been after? You have the bomb?"

Aro roared with laughter. "Yes! Isn't it wonderful. I've only been visiting your reality for a year, and already, I have this world's two most powerful spy organizations running in circles looking for some drug dealer in a cave in Afghanistan. You and your secret agent friends are so easily deceived. All it took was a few highly motivated individuals in the right places."

He strutted around the room, sipping his wine with a smile that indicated how pleased he was with his work.

"And just how exactly did you motivate these individuals?" I asked.

"Let me start at the beginning. When I went to visit Edward and Bella to see their new daughter…"

"Don't you mean when you went to try to kill her?" I asked, my voice riddled with sarcasm.

"That was just a misunderstanding. Anyway, when I apologized to Edward for that little misunderstanding, and extended the hand of friendship…"

"Do you actually believe this fiction because there's no need to spin the facts for my benefit, Aro. You're bored and power-hungry, and the Cullens are the bane of your existence. You can't stand that they have such gifted family members who refuse to yield to your will. So just cut the 'hand of friendship crap,' and get on with it."

He stared at me for a full minute.

"You know, I had Demetri promptly remove the head of the last person who spoke to me like that."

I reached for the gun strapped to my thigh and pointed it directly at Aro's head. "If Demetri walks into this room, he's going to find that it is you who has had their head removed. And while we're at it, give me one good reason why I shouldn't pull this trigger."

He calmly took a sip of wine before answering. "Because if the Volturi guard holding the bomb's black box doesn't hear from me every four hours, he has orders to detonate."

I re-strapped the gun to my leg. "I figured you had that angle covered, but I thought I'd ask. Continue with your story. So you shook Edward's hand, and…?"

"And I saw everything that happened with you. It was the most fascinating thing I'd seen in over a thousand years! I decided I had to try it!"

"Why did the Cullens agree to help you?"

"I gave them my word that as long as none of them did anything to blatantly disregard our laws, they would never hear from the Volturi again. Of course they thought I just wanted to experience one shift. They never dreamed I would want to leave my vampire body behind."

"You said earlier that there were motivated individuals helping you. What did you mean?" I asked.

"Stephen has made incredible progress in his research over the past year. Alice was more than willing to be his guinea pig, and with each shift she made to this world, he perfected the process. He found he could use a quantum harmonic oscillator to map the energy levels between the two world's eigenstates."

I stared at him.

"You don't understand?" He asked.

I shook my head.

"Bella, it's a very simple formula, really."

He grabbed one of the hotel memo pads and wrote,

Vn(x) = 1/2n! x (mw/πЋ)1/4 X e – mwx2/2h * Hn * (mw/Ћ)

"You see. When it's written down in black and white, it's so obvious!"

"If you say so, Aro," I said, staring at the page and shaking my head.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I continue to forget how limited humans are in their capacity to learn. Given the incredibly short life span of a human, its amazing how much you do accomplish. But you shouldn't feel bad, it took me at least 700 years to fully grasp the rudiments of physics."

"Believe me, Aro, I don't feel bad at all. So the bottom line is, Stephen has simplified the process for shifting between our realities?

"Exactly. All one requires is a harmonic oscillator and a solid grasp of quantum physics."

"And a highly motivated individual?" I asked.

"Yes, they are certainly part of the equation as represented by the capital 'H,'" he said, pointing to the memo pad, and laughing at his own attempt at humor.

I raised an eyebrow and stared, waiting for him to finish chuckling and continue.

"So serious? Oh well, I tried. Anyway, during my first shift into this reality, I read all of the _Twilight_ books and watched all of the movies. The whole idea that an author created our reality is so fascinating. But I digress. You already know about that."

I nodded and rolled my eyes indicating that I was intimately familiar with the theories around how Aro's world came into existence.

"The first time I visited, I only stayed a week and then returned to my reality. I stayed near the Cullen's for several weeks and learned as much as Stephen was willing to share. Eventually, they began to worry that my interest was more than mere curiosity, and politely suggested that I return to Italy. By then I had learned enough to continue the research on my own. I was careful not to make any advance plans to ensure that Alice did not foresee anything that might cause the Cullens to overreact. I continued to shift into this reality, and once I perfected the process, I started bringing a few of the guard with me."

"But you've decided that being human isn't enough?" I asked.

"A human body is a limitation I just can not live with, my dear Isabella. There must be a way to shift some, if not all, of my physical energy as well as my consciousness into this world."

"So you are bribing Stephen?"

"I prefer to think of it as _motivating_ Stephen."

"How did you get a bomb?" I asked.

"I couldn't very well force one of the governments of this world to turn over a bomb, but I quickly realized how easy it would be to _motivate_ one of those silly terrorists to turn over a bomb."

"And how did you _motivate_ the terrorist?" I asked.

"My reality and this reality are strikingly similar in their capacity for human depravity. This particular terrorist faction is virtually identical in both worlds. I had the guard find the leader of that extremist group you are searching for…"

"You found Bin Laden?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"It was nothing," he said, with a wave of his hand.

I shook my head.

"Jane accompanied the guard, and after that, it was child's play to bring him to Italy. Once he was our guest in Volterra, I invited Mr. Bin Laden to one of our dinner parties."

"Why would you go to all that trouble just to kill him?" I asked.

"Oh, my dear, we did not kill him. He watched while we had our dinner."

I had to admit, Aro was an evil genius.

"Of course, once he realized how strong we are and that we are immortal, he immediately wanted to become one of us."

"No! Aro, even you must realize how insane that would be."

"Yes, yes, Bella, calm down. He will never be turned. He would be much too difficult to control. However, he does not need to know that. I offered him immortality in exchange for one little bomb, large enough to blow up Dr. Hawking's beloved London."

"But why are you threatening to blow up this world's London? Wouldn't it have simpler to stick to your reality?"

"Don't you see, my dear? I need the Stephen from both worlds to cooperate. By working together, I'm sure they will devise a way for physical energy to shift."

"So you shifted here with your world's Bin Laden, and he cooperated?"

"Yes. I knew that it wouldn't be enough for him to be the only one turned, so I waited for him to ask for his associates to be turned as well. When he did, I offered to turn some of his followers in exchange for him shifting to this world and providing me with a bomb here as well."

"Aro, why are you telling me this?" I asked him.

"Because, my dear, it all started with you. I saw in Edward's memories that whatever happened to you physically in one world right before you shifted followed you into the next reality. That has not happened to Alice, me or any of the guard. Stephen suspects there is something unique about your particular energy that allowed that phenomenon to occur. I invited you here to ask you to assist Stephen with his research."

"And if I refuse to help, you'll blow up London?"

"That wouldn't be very original of me, now would it? No, I have a much stronger motivation in mind for you, my dear girl."

"Aro, I swear if you hurt my family you will die more slowly and painfully than anything you have yet to conceive," I growled.

"So dramatic, Isabella," he said lightly as he turned on his laptop and opened a Skype session.

I gasped as an image of Rob sitting on our living room couch with a gun pointed to his temple appeared on the monitor.

I lunged toward the computer. "Baby, are you OK?"

He nodded. "The kids are OK, but Ben is dead."

"I'll kill you!" I screamed as I lunged toward Aro. I pressed a button on my watch, and a long and very thin, yet lethally sharp needle instantly turned the timepiece into a deadly weapon. I held the needle to Aro's throat.

"Tell your guard to drop the gun, or you're dead," I barked.

"I don't think you'll really risk your husband and children's lives as well as the lives of everyone in London. Alec, if she doesn't release me on the count of three, kill him and then kill her children. One…two…"

**A/N: I came across a picture of Michael Sheen that literally changed the direction this story was going. I hadn't intended to re-visit "The Vibration of Love," but this picture of him jumped off the page and demanded that I re-think this story's direction. To see the picture, visit my website. Click the "Addicted2Twylyte" link in the upper left corner of this page, then click the "Homepage" link. **


	18. Chapter 18 A Tale of 2 Edwards

**A/N: ** For those of you who have been following me for awhile and have read "The Sound of Love," you know that the Fandom Gives Back charity, Hannah's Hope Fund (HHF) is very close to my heart. This charity is raising money to fund the clinical trial that will help cure GAN, a disease that is currently terminal, but for which a cure has been found. Hannah is my 5-year-old cousin.

For only 10 seconds of your time and for FREE, you can help save lives by voting daily during August for the $250K HHF grant application on Pepsi's site. Just text the number, 101885 to 73774 ("73774" is the numeric translation for Pepsi) to vote.

For 30 seconds you can also vote online at: **Refresheverything [dot] com [slash] hannahshopefund**

HHF is currently #58 in the rankings out of over 1200 applications. That puts us in the top 5%, so we have a great chance of winning. **So your vote CAN make a difference!**

**Thank you for doing all you can to help cure GAN!**

**Chapter 18: A Tale of Two Edwards**

**BPOV**

I pressed another button on my watch and the needle receded. I stepped away.

Aro laughed. "You humans are so predictable."

I looked into Rob's eyes. "I'm so sorry," I sobbed.

"It's not your fault," he said.

"Don't be silly, Isabella, you just saved his life."

**RPOV**

_Why is he doing this?_ I thought as I watched Aro preen behind Bella. The night's events flashed through my mind as I tried to make sense of what was happening.

The evening started out normally. Kate was her usual stubborn self about falling asleep. She had finally drifted off after the fourth story in a row. At the start of each book, I would tell her, "This is the last one, Kate," and when I read the last page, she would look at me with her mother's gorgeous eyes and bat those long lashes and sweetly ask for "just one more, Daddy, _puleaseeee_." And as always, I did whatever my little girl asked me to do.

Once I was sure she was asleep, I crept out of her room, shut the door, stretched and yawned. _Another night alone. A beer is definitely in order,_ I thought. I headed to the kitchen. My phone buzzed just as I opened the fridge.

"Hi Ben," I said, after glancing at the caller ID.

"Rob, Cameron Bright is at the front gate. He asked to speak to you and said it's urgent."

_Cameron? The guy who played Alec? That's weird,_ I thought. I hadn't seen him since _Breaking Dawn_ wrapped. I really didn't feel like inviting him up to the house when I had no idea what he wanted.

"Ben, do you mind handing him your phone? I want to ask him what he wants."

"No problem," Ben replied. "Here he is."

I overheard Ben telling Cameron that I was on the line.

"Rob?" Cameron asked.

"Yes, hi Cameron. How are you?"

"Not very well, Rob. There's a problem with Michael, and I was hoping you could give me some advice on how to help him."

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Can I come up and tell you in person? It's confidential."

Obviously he didn't feel comfortable discussing whatever the problem was in front of our security guards.

"Of course, give the phone back to the guard, and I'll tell him to let you in."

"Rob?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, Ben, he's OK," I replied.

"Something doesn't feel right about this. I'm going to follow him up to the house," Ben said.

I smiled. "If it makes you feel better, Ben, but I'm sure he's fine."

I ended the call, grabbed a beer, twisted off the cap and took a long swig before heading toward the front door. I saw Cameron step out of a jeep and walk toward the house as Ben stepped out of the security van holding an envelope and followed him to the door.

I opened the door and welcomed Cameron inside. He stepped into the entryway and set down the briefcase he was carrying. Ben followed him and said,

"Rob, I've got the papers that were left at the front gate for you earlier. The courier asked that you sign them, and he'll return early in the morning to pick them up."

I knew Ben made up this story because he wanted to check out Cameron, so I decided to appease him and invited him inside.

"Sure Ben, come on in, and I'll take a look at them."

As soon as the front door closed, Cameron pulled a gun from his coat pocket, spun around and fired at Ben. The bullet hit him at point blank range, and his face disintegrated as his body crumpled to the floor.

"Ben!" I screamed, as I lunged toward him. I knelt beside him and pressed my fingers to his neck, knowing that checking for a pulse was hopeless. He was gone. I stared at the faceless, lifeless body, and then turned to look at the gun that was pointed at me.

I managed to swallow the bile in my throat and choked out a single word, "Why?"

"He was in the way," Cameron said without emotion.

"In the way of what?" I screamed at him.

"I suggest you be quiet Mr. Pattinson. You don't want to wake your children, do you?"

His accent and pitch had changed along with his entire demeanor.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

He just smiled knowingly and motioned for me to stand up.

"We'll need a laptop with a video camera," he said.

"What? Why?" I asked.

"You're hardly in a position to ask questions. Do you have one?"

I nodded.

"Good. Go get it. I'll follow you."

I walked into the living room and pointed to the coffee table where I had left my laptop.

"Open it," he ordered.

I flipped open the lid.

"Now sit down and put your hands on top of your head, and don't move," he demanded.

I did as he asked. He kept the gun leveled on me while he used his other hand to type. A Skype window opened, and I saw Michael appear on the monitor.

"Alec?" Michael said.

"Alec?" I asked. "What the fuck is going on? Michael, what do you have to do with this?"

"Alec, turn the monitor. I can't see Mr. Pattinson, and I don't want to be rude," Michael replied.

Alec did as he asked.

"Ah, now I see him. Well, well, he's far more attractive than our Edward." Michael's laugh sent a chill down my spine. "Edward is always so pale, and his eyes are so colorless since he insists on that silly animal diet."

"Michael, what the hell's going on? Why are you pretending to be Aro?" I demanded to know.

"Rob, I hope you don't mind if I call you that," he continued without waiting for a reply. "Isn't it obvious that I'm not Michael and your guest is not Cameron?"

I stared at the screen and then looked at Cameron who met my eye with a smirk. I looked back at the screen.

"You figured out how to shift realities," I said as Aro met my eye.

"Very good, Rob! I bet your wife will figure it out just as fast. I'm on my way to meet her now."

"Wait!" I yelled at the laptop. "What does Bella have to do with this? Leave her alone!"

"Oh, Rob, Bella has _everything_ to do with this. We'll see you shortly," he said as he ended the Skype session.

My mind's re-play of what had happened tonight didn't help me get any closer to understanding what Aro wanted. _What did he mean that Bella has everything to do with this? _

**BPOV**

I forced myself to tear my eyes away from Rob and turned to face Aro. "What's next?" I asked him.

"What's next my dear girl is that Alec is going to send your husband back to my reality."

"No! Please! I'll do whatever you want me to do. Just let him stay here," I begged.

"I'm afraid not, Isabella. You are far too resourceful, and I need to make sure that you and your spy friends will not thwart my efforts."

"Aro, please. I give you my word that I will cooperate fully with Stephen if you let Rob stay here."

He looked at me for a moment and then shook his head. "I think not. I am certain that you'll cooperate fully if I send him to my reality, but I can't be certain of anything if he remains here. Alec, proceed."

I whipped around to face the monitor. "Baby, I am so sorry. I will find a way to get you back. I love you!"

"I love you too. Bella, the kids…Ben is…"

"I know," I gasped as tears streamed down my face. "I'll get there as fast as I can."

I watched with horrified fascination as Alec removed several small pieces of equipment from a brief case and began to assemble them.

"It looks like you raided a medical equipment graveyard," I said to Aro.

"You're very observant, Bella. You are right. Many of those parts did come from medical diagnostic equipment. They've been modified to create the harmonic frequency necessary to make the shift."

Alec assembled the device, plugged one end into a power supply and the other end into the laptop's USB port. I watched as he programmed it. After a few minutes, he looked into the camera and said, "We're ready."

"Very good, you know what to do when you get there," Aro replied.

Alec stuck what looked like EKG electrodes onto Rob's neck and did the same to his own neck. My eyes locked with Rob's. "I love you," I said through my tears.

"I love…" he began, and then his head jerked back, his eyes shut, and he collapsed.

"Rob!" I screamed as I stared at his lifeless body and that of Cameron's next to him.

"He'll be fine, Bella. Edward has a healthy body. Your husband will probably enjoy being a vampire."

I turned and stared at Aro. The realization that Rob's consciousness would reside in Edward Cullen's body was just now hitting me.

"But that means…" I turned back to the monitor. Rob's body was moving. His eyes opened and were filled with confusion. Cameron was stirring next to him.

"Hello Edward," Aro said with a chuckle.

Edward looked toward the monitor. "Aro, what's going on? Where am I?" I heard Rob's voice say with an American accent.

"Say hello to your old friend Bella Jordan, Edward."

I looked into my husband's eyes, knowing another man's soul had taken his place, and I couldn't hold back a sob. "Edward, he forced Rob to shift."

"Why? Aro what are you doing?" Edward demanded.

I noticed that Cameron had his arms wrapped tightly around his knees. He was curled in a ball and rocking back and forth. He obviously believed he had gone insane. I decided it was easiest to let him believe that for now.

"Edward, Bella will explain everything. You should go home, my dear," Aro said to me. "You need to clean up the mess and take care of your children. I'll get in touch with Stephen and call you tomorrow to let you know where to meet us."

It took every ounce of control I had to refrain from tearing Aro's heart out of his chest. Instead, I forced myself to say,

"Edward, I'll be there as fast as I can. Alec killed my security guard. Can you cover the body with a sheet? There are some in the closet at the top of the stairs."

Edward nodded.

"If one of my children wakes up, please just pretend to be Rob and get them back into bed."

He nodded again. "What about him?" He asked, looking toward Cameron.

"Cameron, can you hear me? It's Bella Pattinson."

He slowly raised his head and looked at the monitor.

"Cameron, I know you think you've gone insane, but you haven't. The same thing happened to me. It happened to Ashley, and now it is happening to Rob. There are multiple realities, and the world of the Cullens is real. It is possible for us to shift between them. You shifted. You are back in your world now."

He stared at me a moment and then lowered his head and continued rocking.

Edward and I looked at each other. "Just keep him from going into shock Edward. I'll deal with him when I get there."

He nodded again, and I bolted for the door. I pulled my phone from my purse as I ran into the stairwell. Dex picked up on the first ring.

"Meet me at my car now! Tell Dad to get to his car. Call Edward and tell him to get the fuck out of here."

"Bella, what's …"

I cut him off. "Just do it, Dex!"

I ended the call as I burst out of the stairwell and into the parking deck. I unlocked the car, jumped inside and started it just as Dex opened the door and sat in the passenger's seat. I saw Dad running to his car.

"Where's Edward?" I yelled at Dex.

"I don't know. He didn't answer his phone. Why weren't you with him? What the fuck is wrong?"

I pressed Dad's number on my phone and his gruff, "What's wrong Bella?" resounded in stereo throughout my car.

"It's Aro, Dad. He figured out how to shift. He's the one who has the bomb."

"Fuck!" Dad cursed in reply.

"Dad, he's got Rob." My voice broke as I said my husband's name.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"He forced Rob to shift. Edward is at my house right now," I choked in reply.

"Shit!" Dad cursed again.

"Wait, I thought you didn't know where Edward was?" Dex asked.

"Wrong Edward!" Dad and I both yelled at the same time.

"Bella, what the hell is going on?" Dex demanded.

"Dex, just shut the fuck up for a second!" I screamed at him.

"Dad, he …." My voice broke again.

"What honey? What happened?" Dad asked.

"Dad, Ben is dead."

"What? How?" Dad cried.

"I don't know. Rob told me Ben was dead right before he shifted."

"Goddamnit!" Dad swore in reply.

"Bella…" Dex started to ask.

"Dex, just trust us. We'll fill you in later. Right now, I need a cleanup crew at my house immediately. Ben's death can't be made public. There's also an actor named Cameron Bright sitting in my living room having a nervous breakdown. Send someone who can deal with him, keep him sedated, and take him to a safe house."

Dex stared at me.

"Dex, pick up your goddamn phone and order some fucking agents to my house NOW!" I screamed.

He grabbed his phone and started making calls.

"Dad, you and Mom need to get the kids out of London. Rob's parents need to go too. Aro could blow up the city at any time."

"Bella, I can't…"

"Dad, I can't leave. If I leave, he'll kill Rob and blow up the city. You have to take care of my kids."

"Alright, I'll get them out and make sure they're safe."

When Dex finished making the calls, I began to fill him in on what happened to me last year when I shifted to the Cullen's reality. I told him the whole story and finished with tonight's events. When I was done, he just stared at me.

"She's telling the truth Dex. It happened," Dad said.

"Did you consider, Barry, that maybe your daughter was having a psychotic breakdown or hallucinations related to her drug abuse?" Dex asked.

I rolled my eyes.

"Dex, I'm going to personally kick your ass as soon you step out of my daughter's car, you son of a bitch!" Dad growled.

"It's alright, Dad. That was the first thing I thought when it started happening to me. It's obviously what Cameron thinks is happening to him since he's having a nervous breakdown. But Dex, how would you explain Alice's appearance? Is this some delayed bad drug trip reaction that Ashley Green, Michael Sheen, Charlie Brawley, Cameron Bright and Rob are now all simultaneously experiencing?"

Dex stared out the window for a moment. "I guess when you put it that way, your version is a little easier to believe."

As my car and Dad's flew past our house's security entrance, I saw Fridge race from the guard booth and jump into a van to follow us.

A moment later, I screeched to a halt and bolted for the front porch. The door opened, and when I saw Rob standing there, I held onto a glimmer of hope that he had somehow shifted back to our reality. I ran up the steps and looked into his eyes and saw the vampire who was inhabited my husband's body staring back at me.

"Edward?" I asked.

He nodded. "I'm sorry, Bella. I saw the hope in your eyes when I opened the door."

"It's not your fault," I said as I gave him a hug. He awkwardly embraced me and then leaned back and said,

"Bella, I moved your guard's body into the bathroom off of the entryway. I covered it as you asked."

"Thank you. Agents are on the way to take care of him."

"Agents?" Edward asked. "Alice told me you were a spy, but I thought she was exaggerating."

"No, I wish she had been, but it's true." I heard Dex and my father on the steps behind me. I motioned over my shoulder. "Those two are also spies. Edward, meet my boss, Dex and my father, Barry."

Edward held out his hand and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Dex shook his hand and stared. My father took Edward's hand and said, "Wow, this is the weirdest thing that's ever happened to me. It's like you're Rob, but you're not Rob. You don't even seem like Rob when he's acting. It's just so…"

"Weird," Dex said, still staring at Edward.

"OK, we all agree, it's weird. Let's go inside," I said.

As we were walking into the entryway, Fridge drove up and jumped out of the van.

"Is everything alright?" He called out. "You were in a very big hurry."

I looked at Dad, and he nodded.

"Fridge, you'd better come inside," I said.

Dex grabbed my arm and whispered. "Bella, he's not cleared for any of this."

I shook off Dex's hold. "He's a former Navy SEAL, and he's the only person on the planet I trust as much as my family and you. So clear him," I said, glaring at Dex.

Dex looked into my eyes, saw no room for argument, and nodded.

As Fridge approached, I said, "Fridge meet Dex. You two have a lot to talk about, so let's get started."

Several hours later, Edward and I sat facing each other in the living room. The house seemed strangely still after the intense activity of the past few hours. The agents had arrived to take care of Ben's body and to bring Cameron to a safe house. Dex and Dad briefed Fridge, and Dex made him swear something that sounded official. Fridge was surprisingly nonchalant. When I commented on his calm demeanor, he said that based on what he had observed about Ben, Dad and me while working for us, he wasn't surprised to discover we were agents. He went on to assure us that he was more than willing to do whatever he could to help avenge Ben's death.

We decided it wasn't prudent to attempt to contact Dr. Hawking yet. Instead, I would wait for Aro to call me tomorrow, and then we would plan the next move.

As Dex was preparing to leave, I asked him, "Have you heard from our Edward?"

He grimly shook his head.

"What about ops? You made us inject a nanoprobe so you could keep tabs on us. Can't they find him?"

He shook his head again, and didn't meet my eye.

"Dex, does that mean he's…"

"Not necessarily, Bella. It is possible for the probes to malfunction, and sometimes, the GPS can't pick up the device if a person is underground or in an area with a high amount of interference."

"Call me when you know something," I said as I gave him a hug.

"Of course. Get some rest. Goodnight," he said as he got into a van with the other agents.

I had just sat down across from my vampire house guest when I noticed him glance over my shoulder with a shocked expression. I turned around to see what caught his attention and saw Kate standing in the doorway of the living room rubbing her eyes. I ran over to her.

"Sweetie, what are you doing up? It's really late."

"It was so noisy. What were you doing?"

"We were rehearsing one of Daddy's movie scenes," I improvised. "I'm sorry we woke you. Come on, I'll bring you back to bed."

"No!" She yelled and stamped her foot. "I want my Daddy!"

I began to argue, but Edward appeared at my side and whispered, "It's alright. I'm an expert at tucking in little girls."

He picked up Kate and said in an English accent, "Come on, love, back to bed."

"Love?" Kate giggled. "You never called me that before, Daddy."

"What do you want me to call you?" Edward asked.

"I like it when you call me your princess."

"Well, then my little princess, let's go upstairs."

"Daddy, you didn't finish my story."

"You fell asleep before it ended." Edward was good at improvising too.

I followed them upstairs and watched as Edward lovingly tucked Kate into bed and kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight princess," he said, as he walked toward the door.

"I love you Daddy," Kate called out.

"I love you too, Kate." Edward said. He closed the door and looked at me.

"Thank you," I said.

"She looks exactly like Renesmee. I was startled when I first saw her and afraid that Aro had someone send her into this reality. But then I quickly realized it was Kate. She's beautiful, Bella. She has your eyes."

"Thank you, Edward."

Edward stood for a moment with a confused expression in his eyes.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. I haven't been human in so long, I've forgotten what's normal. Was Rob feeling sick?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"My stomach hurts, and I feel like I can barely stand up."

I laughed. "I'm pretty sure you're exhausted and starving. Knowing Rob, he fed the kids dinner and never got around to eating anything himself. Come on. I'll make us some breakfast."

I poured Edward a glass of juice, which he cautiously sipped as if worried I had added Drano. He watched me make two cheese omelets, and when I placed his plate in front of him, he stared at it with disgust.

"Hey, if I could drink blood in your reality to keep your future wife and child healthy, you can certainly force down an omelet to keep my husband healthy," I said with a smirk.

He gave me a resigned look of dread and tentatively took a bite. I watched his expression of disgust turn to surprise, and then he blurted out, "This is very good!"

"Why, thank you, Edward. I'm glad that your first real taste of food in over 100 years meets with your approval," I laughed.

I watched with amusement as my vampire friend inhaled his first meal in a very long time. I had only swallowed a few bites before he was done and asked, "Is there more?"

I laughed and pushed my plate toward him. "Finish mine. I'm not that hungry."

He didn't hesitate. He grabbed the plate and gulped down the rest of my omelet.

"Thank you, that was wonderful," he said as if he'd just finished a gourmet meal.

"You're welcome," I replied as I put the plates in the sink. "Now, we need to get you into bed."

He looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

I smiled and said, "We have a guest room, Edward. You can sleep in there."

"I doubt I'll be able to sleep. I haven't done that for over 100 years either."

"Just like you inhaled that omelet, I have no doubt you will fall asleep. In all the time I've known Rob, I've never once known him to have trouble falling asleep."

He followed me to the guest suite, and I showed him where the extra towels and toiletries were in the bathroom.

We stood there for a moment, awkwardly looking at one another. I realized, that for the first time in my married life, I would be sleeping in the same house as my husband but in a different bed. The thought of Rob brought tears to my eyes. Edward gently wiped one away as it slid down my cheek.

"You miss him," he said as a statement, since he already knew the answer to the question.

I nodded. "And you miss her."

He nodded, and I reached out to hug him. He pulled me into his arms, and I felt his lips brush my hair. It felt so familiar and safe. I wanted so much to fall asleep in these arms that I knew so well, but I forced myself to push away from his grasp.

"Goodnight, Edward," I said, as I backed toward the door.

"Goodnight, Bella."

I walked into our room and collapsed onto the bed. I buried my face in Rob's pillow, and cried myself to sleep.

**A/N: **OK, so I bet you were expecting Edward and Bella to get it on, right? Believe me, I thought about it, but I knew I'd hear from Y'all how OOC it was! LOL!


	19. Chapter 19 For Your Eyes Only

**A/N: **Hi everyone. Thanks for not giving up on me. I appreciate your reviews that said, "Please write again!" As you know, I'm a huge supporter of Hannah's Hope. I was very involved in helping them get the $250,000 Pepsi grant. THANK YOU to those of you who voted! We are going for another grant in November, so stay tuned into Twitter for updates on how to help them win another $250K and fund the toxicology studies that will save these kids' lives. (HannahsHopeFund [dot] org)

I am also now very much in love with a truly wonderful man, so RL romance is taking priority over the FanFiction kind.

This chapter is somewhat short, but since I've had people ask for me to Puleeeaaasse write, here it is. Enjoy!

**Chapter 19**

**For Your Eyes Only**

**RPOV**

I opened my eyes, and for a brief moment, I wondered if I had been dreaming. My confusion was instantly obliterated as my every thought, _God_, and every molecule in my body became focused on the ardent and exquisite surge of pleasure emanating from my hard cock which was currently buried in my wife's throat.

"Bella! God!" I moaned as I buried my hands in her hair and guided her along my length.

I'd been fortunate to be the recipient of some incredible blow jobs before I met Bella. However, once we were together, I was thrilled to discover that my wife was a goddess when it came to giving head. But this was other-worldly. She must have been reading FanFiction again and picked up some tips. She suddenly started to move so quickly that, I swear she was just a blur. But at that moment, I was incapable of processing anything I saw. I threw my head back and closed my eyes. As I exploded into her throat, my scream was so loud, the window next to our bed shattered.

As I came back down, Bella whispered in my ear, "Emmett is going to have a field day when he figures out we broke another window."

"Emmett?" I asked. "What are you talking about?"

She looked at me quizzically, and then smiled. "You don't need to protect me from Emmett. I'm still stronger than him, remember? There's no need for you to pretend he isn't going to tease me mercilessly, but I can take care of myself."

She laughed, and I asked, "What did I miss? Is this kinky sex night, and I'm supposed to be in character?"

"Not that I know of," she smiled. "But that is an interesting idea. Is that why you are talking with a British accent?"

"No, actually, I'm talking with an British accent because I'm from Britain. Bella, what is going on?" I reached for the lamp next to my side of the bed, but it wasn't there. "What happened to the lamp?" I asked. "Did one of kids break it?"

"What lamp, and what kids? Edward, why are you acting so strangely?"

"OK, enough with the role playing, alright? It's starting to freak me out."

"I'm not the one talking strangely," she snapped, as she jumped up and turned on a lamp across the room.

I gasped as the light came on. This was not our room. This was not our bed. I stared at the woman in front of me whose skin sparkled in the lamp light. _She is not my wife._ I slowly looked at the body I was inhabiting. One glance at the porn star sized penis between my legs confirmed my fears. _This is not my body. _

"Oh my God!" I yelled and jumped out of the bed so quickly that I became disoriented. I grabbed the bed post to regain my balance, and it turned to dust in my hand. "No!" I screamed as I shook the dust from my hand.

"Edward! What's wrong?" Bella cried and ran toward me.

"No! Stop! You're not my wife!" I yelled at her as I grabbed a sheet and wrapped it around my waist.

A look of pure torture crossed her face, and I immediately regretted the harsh tone and rash words I had just uttered.

"Bella, I'm sorry. Let me explain. I'm not Edward."

"What are you talking about?" She screamed.

"Bella, I'm ..."

The bedroom door burst open, and Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie stormed in.

"Rob?" Alice asked, as a room full of vampires stopped and stared at me.

"Alice what is going on?" Bella shrieked.

Alice darted into the closet and shrouded Bella in a robe as she made soothing noises. "Bella, it will be alright."

"What will be alright, Alice?" A second window shattered as Bella's question shrilly escaped her lips.

I saw Rose turn her back to Emmett so he could pick glass shards from her hair . They both met my eyes as I stared at them. They looked similar to Kellan and Nikki, but it was as if some 3-D version of Photoshop had filtered every human imperfection leaving a god and goddess in their place. They were both perfect.

_God! What the hell did I look like?_ I turned toward the mirror hanging over the bedroom's bureau and gasped at my reflection. In my human body, I honestly never understood what all the fuss about my looks was. I never thought I was anything more than average when I was growing up. I had to workout twice as hard as other guys to get half the muscle tone. But the body staring back at me was one worthy of all the attention reaped on my human form. My face looked nothing like the heavily made up ghostly vampire in the _Twilight_ movies. My skin glistened with an ethereal ivory gleam There was no hint of a beard. I ran my palm across my smooth cheek. My skin hadn't felt like this since I was a child. The lamp light glistened off of my chest, and I noticed the ripped muscles that were far larger and more defined than anything I could ever dream of achieving in my human body.

"Ah, Dude, what are you looking at?" Emmett asked.

"Oh, sorry," I stammered. "I don't look...none of you look..." I was too overwhelmed to finish the sentence.

Alice walked over and rested her hand on my arm. "I know," she said. "It's a lot to take in."

I suddenly felt much calmer and able to think clearly again. I saw Alice smile at Jasper. I glanced at him and nodded my thanks, and he returned the nod.

"Alice," Bella whispered. "I'm losing my mind. Please, what is happening?"

"Bella, I think Edward has shifted into Ashley's world, and Robert Pattinson has shifted into our world." She looked at me and raised an eyebrow, as if asking me to confirm what she said.

"Yes, I don't know for sure where Edward is, but I am Rob Pattinson."

"No!" Bella screamed. She ran toward me, and in less time than it would have taken me to blink with my human eyes, I was lying on the ground outside the house. I looked through my vampire eyes and glanced back from where I had been thrown, and saw the Cullens staring at me through the hole in the wall which Edward's body had just created.

"Whoa, Dude, are you OK?" Emmett asked, as he ran over and yanked me off of the ground.

"Yeah, I am, thanks," I muttered. "It didn't even hurt. It was like being thrown through a movie set's fake wall. Wow, this is wild."

"I know! Isn't it cool! We can't get hurt. Watch this!" Emmett jumped straight up and disappeared into the trees. A moment later, a resounding, "FORE!" echoed around the woods, as he hurdled back to the earth from 100 yards up, and landed with a soft, thud, and a loud laugh.

"Oh, you can get hurt, Emmett. Get out of my way!" Bella roughly shoved Emmett aside and stopped inches from me. "What did you do with Edward?" She demanded.

"Bella, it's not Rob's fault. It was Aro," Alice interjected as she climbed through the new Edwardian style hole Bella's temper had created.

"What does Aro have to do with this?" Bella screeched at Alice.

"We made a huge mistake when we allowed him to shift into the other reality." Alice quickly told the others what she had seen Aro decide, and I filled in the gaps.

Bella stared at Alice and me, looking more distraught with every word we uttered.

"So Edward is…," she began.

"Most likely inhabiting my body," I said, finishing her sentence.

"Yes," Alice began, and then got a far away look in her eyes. "He's sleeping!"

I threw a sharp look at her as I imagined my wife asleep next to a vampire.

"He's in the guestroom," Alice quickly added when she saw my alarmed expression.

"Thanks for the clarification, Alice," I told her.

"We'd better go back to the main house and tell Carlisle and Esme what's happening. I didn't have time to fill them in before we all raced down here, and they didn't want to leave Renesmee alone in case she woke up," Alice said.

She glanced at me. "Edward and Bella wanted some alone time tonight, so Renesmee had a sleepover."

"Oh my God!" Bella screamed just before her fist connected with my eye.

I flew through the air again until a tree intercepted my flight path. I barely hit the ground before Bella had pulled me to my feet and slapped me.

"How could you?" She shrieked.

"Stop hitting me! How could I what?" I yelled back at her.

"You came in my mouth!" She was about to hit me again, but I ducked, and she hit the tree behind me. The trunk shattered, and the top of the redwood crumpled to the ground with a resounding crash.

"I didn't know it was you! I thought I had just woken up from a dream, and you were my Bella!"

As I yelled at Bella in my defense, I saw Emmett, literally rolling on the ground in hysterics while the rest of the Cullens attempted to suppress their amusement.

Bella followed my gaze, and we both yelled, "It's not funny!" Which only made all of the Cullens start to laugh and Emmett's convulsions literally shake the ground.

"Ugh!" Bella yelled. She disappeared back through the hole in the wall, and reappeared a few seconds later holding a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. She threw them at me.

"Put these on," she ordered and waited impatiently while I dressed more quickly than I ever had in my life. As soon as I'd pulled the shirt over my head, Bella said,

"Come on. Follow me."

She took off in a blur, and I followed, amazed at my ability to keep up with her with almost no effort. In a matter of seconds, we were standing on the porch of a house that only vaguely resembled the one from the _Twilight_ series. It was just as my Bella had told me. It was nearly twice as big and much more elaborate that anything the set designers had created. It was second only to the house Alice had created for us in London in it's breathtaking beauty.

Bella opened the door, and I followed. The rest of the family emerged from the woods, just as we stepped across the threshold. Carlisle and Esme entered the living room, and I wasn't surprised to see that they were as ethereal as the rest of the family.

"Edward, what's wrong?" Carlisle asked.

"He's not Edward," all of the other Cullens except Esme, said simultaneously.

At that moment, an angelic voice said, "Mommy, why are you and Daddy here? I'm having a sleepover, and I don't want to go home yet."

I looked up and gasped. Kate was standing at the top of the staircase. Without thinking, I was instantly by her side. I knelt down and pulled her into my arms.

"Sweetheart, are you OK?"

She giggled. "Of course I'm OK, Daddy. Uncle Emmett wanted to take me hunting, but Jake and Aunt Rose came with us so it wasn't as much fun. She looked at Emmett and giggled again."

I leaned back and looked at her. "Oh God, of course. Renesmee, you look just like…" I was about to say, "Kate," and stopped myself. "Sweetheart, you are as beautiful as your mother."

"You always say that Daddy. Why are you talking funny?"

I instantly switched to my Edward accent. "I was ah …"

Emmett was by my side and swooped Renesmee into his arms. "We made a bet, and he lost, Nessie! So he had to talk weird. You fell asleep before I could finish "_Rosalie, the Three Grizzly Bears and the Vampire."_

"Sounds like an excellent bedtime story, Em," Bella said with exasperation.

"Oh, it is, Mommy!" She wriggled out of Emmett's arms, threw her arms around me and kissed my cheek. "I love you, Daddy. Good night!"

"I love you too, Renesmee."

She giggled. "You never call me by my real name, Daddy!"

"What do you want me to call you, then?"

"What you always do, '_love.'"_

"Goodnight, love," I said as I kissed her cheek.

She raised her arms for Emmett to pick her up again, and he obliged. She blew a kiss to Bella. "Goodnight, Mommy."

"Goodnight, sweetie. I love you," Bella called as Emmett whisked Nessie away.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up. Alice was smiling at me.

"I know," she said. "She looks exactly like Kate."

I nodded. "I was terrified at first that Aro had sent Kate here too. It didn't even occur to me that Renesmee would be Kate's size now."

"Alice, what's going on?" Carlisle asked.

Alice quickly filled Carlisle in on the events surrounding my arrival.

"I can't believe Aro would go this far," Carlisle said, as he raked his hand through his hair. "I need to call Stephen."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Alice said slowly and with a far away look in her eyes. "He's frightened and disoriented. He's been flung into this world, and he has no one here to help him cope with this reality or with being a vampire. He thinks he's lost his mind. We should go see him and explain what's happened."

"But surely there will be Volturi guards around him," Bella said.

"Alice, do you see guards?" Carlisle asked.

Alice glazed over again, and then replied, "Yes, Alec is sitting in Stephen's office."

"He's the bastard that shot our security chief," I seethed.

Carlisle put his hand on my shoulder. "Rob, I'm so sorry. I feel we are indirectly responsible since we allowed Aro to try visiting your world. We should have known it could not lead to anything good."

"I was doing my best, Carlisle," Alice sighed.

"Oh Alice, that's not what I meant. Aro is aware of your gift, so he obviously didn't make any plans ahead of time that you could see," Carlisle replied as he kissed the top of the tiny vampire's head.

"I'll take care of Alec," Emmett growled.

"No, Emmett," Carlisle said. "We can't afford to anger the Volturi. Alice, if just Rob, Bella and I visit Stephen, can you see what Alec's reaction will be?"

"I think he will be receptive. He's frustrated right now because Stephen thinks he's lost his mind and is refusing to do any work or even speak to Alec."

"Good, let's go," Carlisle said as he quickly kissed Esme good-bye.

Almost instantly, Carlisle, Bella and I were in the Cullen's garage. I stopped at the entrance from the house into the garage and stared, with my mouth hanging open. It looked more like a dealer showroom on Rodeo Drive than a household garage. The Vanquish, Porsche and Jeep from the movies were all housed here. But there was also an Audi, a Maserati, a Corvette, a Lamborghini and a Range Rover. As Bella and Carlisle climbed into the Range Rover, I dragged myself out of my car envy induced trance and climbed into the back next to Bella.

"No Mercedes," I muttered.

"There aren't enough luxury cars here for you?" Bella asked, sarcastically.

"No, it's just that, in the books and the movies, Carlisle drives a Mercedes," I replied.

"I need something that can handle any kind of weather," Carlisle said.

"And no Volvo," I chuckled.

"A Volvo?" Carlisle and Bella asked at the same time. "Why would a vampire drive the world's safest car?" Bella asked.

"In the books, Edward explains to Bella that he drives a Volvo to try to keep a low profile. They didn't want to call attention to themselves by driving, as he put it, ostentatious cars."

Bella and Carlisle laughed. "Can you imagine Rosalie's reaction if you told her that!" Bella asked Carlisle.

"I wouldn't want to be the one to tell her she had to exchange her Maserati for a Volvo," Carlisle said, eliciting another wave of laughter from Bella.

Once their laughter died down, Carlisle asked, "Rob, are you able to read our thoughts?"

"No," I replied.

"I wonder if you can read my thoughts if you concentrate on it. Rob, shut your eyes and think about the sound of my voice," Carlisle instructed.

"Alright," I said, as I shut my eyes. I thought about the sound of Carlisle's voice and how different it was from Peter's. Suddenly, my thoughts clearly "spoke" in a "voice" that wasn't my own, "Rob, we'll do everything we can to help you get back to your world." I gasped.

"I heard you as if you spoke the words out loud!" I repeated what I had heard.

"Interesting," Carlisle mused. "Apparently Edward's gift is somewhat tied to his physical being but the majority of it depends on his consciousness."

I absentmindedly ran my hands through my hair as the reality of inhabiting Edward's body started to sink in.

"He does the same thing," Bella said quietly.

I looked over at her and raised an eyebrow prompting her to explain.

"Edward runs his hands through his hair just like that when he's anxious," she said.

"And my Bella tends to hit people, hard, when she's angry," I laughed. "Although, so far, she hasn't hit me."

"I'm sorry about that," Bella said with a faint smile.

"It's understandable. It's not like you actually hurt me," I said as I returned her smile. "I can empathize with you. I remember all too clearly what it was like when my Bella kept shifting into this world. It was unbearable."

She nodded sadly.

"Bella, I want to thank you for naming Renesmee's brother after me. It really meant a lot to my Bella and me that you and Edward would do something so compassionate."

She glanced at me, and I was sure that if she were able, tears would be streaming down her already glistening cheeks. "When we get back, I'll show you the garden where he is buried. It is beautiful. Sometimes I just go out there to experience the peace and solitude," she said as she squeezed my hand.

"I'd like that very much," I replied, as I gently squeezed back.

7


	20. Chapter 20 The World is Not Enough

**Author's Notes:**

If you are reading this and haven't given up on me, Thank you! I FINALLY finished this story! I had a very long and severe case of writer's block coupled with an invasion of real life. But I promise that it is done, and the last chapter will be posted within a few days. Enjoy!

**EPOV**

I opened my eyes and gasped, shocked to feel air surging into lungs that had not breathed oxygen in over 100 years. I was disoriented. _Why couldn't I see anything? Vampires can see in the dark. What is wrong with me?_ I sat still and listened. _Silence? Where am I?_ Suddenly it all came rushing back. _BJ. I'm in Bella Jordan's world. The beautiful and amazing human that I never thought I'd see again. Now I'm here in her home. God! I'm here in her husband's body!_

I pushed the covers back, stood up and grabbed the pajama bottoms Bella had left in the guestroom. I slipped them on and opened the bedroom door. As I stepped into the hall, I listened again to the sleeping house. The door to my left was ajar, and I heard a soft sucking noise. I peeked inside, and in the nightlight's glow, I saw two adorable babies side by side. The baby swaddled in pink's fingers filled her round little mouth. Her brother was asleep on his stomach with his knees tucked under him so his diaper covered bottom protruded into the air. I smiled as I stepped past the threshold for a closer look. _David and Stephenie_, I remembered. _Alice told me all about you two, _I thought. _But she didn't do you justice. You are much cuter than anything she described._ I watched them peacefully sleeping for a few minutes and then quietly returned to the hallway.

I walked past the room where I had tucked Kate in earlier. Her door, as well as the next door, which I assumed was Jordan's room, was shut. The door at the end of the hall was ajar. I stopped outside and listened. I could hear Bella's soft breathing. I gave the door a gentle push and peered inside. My eyes were drawn to the opposite wall where a soft fire burned in the ancient stone fireplace. The flames cast a dim hue over the room, and my eyes roamed across the room's expanse and stopped at the bed that I remembered Alice excitedly telling me once belonged to Lord Byron. The room was unlike any I'd seen in my existence. _Little sister, you outdid yourself this time_, I thought as I admired the results of Alice's foray into this reality.

I realized I was avoiding looking at Bella. I was curious about her home and her children, but I didn't want to be a voyeur. Eventually, curiosity won, and I allowed my eyes to linger on the center of the bed. I inhaled, feeling that unfamiliar rush of air once again. _God, she's spectacular. _ I silently crept into the room and stood beside the bed. Her lush hair was splayed across the pillow. She'd obviously had a restless night since the sheets and blankets were balled at the foot of the bed. She was wearing one of her husband's T-shirts, and nothing else, I realized, at the same time I felt this body's cock instantly harden. _It's just Rob's body's automatic response to being near his wife,_ I tried to convince myself. The logical part of my consciousness was quickly silenced as a different voice in my mind took over. This new voice was that of desire. _What would it be like to make love to her as a human? _ _I had never experienced intimacy as a human. This might be the only chance I would ever get. Could I convince her I was Rob? _

_Stop!_ The logical part of my consciousness screamed. But in response, I smiled and slipped off my borrowed pajama bottoms and slid into bed next to her. She automatically rolled toward me, and I felt the naked lower half of her body pressed against my now rock hard cock. I gently rolled us so I could lean over and run my lips along her neck. _God! What freedom! I'm kissing a human neck, and I don't want to kill her!_ I had to stifle a laugh as my lips licked their way from her neck, across her collar bone and to the top of her breast. When my tongue found her nipple, she moaned softly, still partially asleep. I teased it with my tongue until it became hard, and then slid my mouth to her other breast.

"Baby, that feels so good," she whispered.

I smiled and continued kissing my way down her abdomen until my tongue's tip found the spot that made her moan and bury her hands in my hair. I was consumed by her taste. Nothing in my existence could compare to this nectar. I buried my tongue deep inside her, and she arched to meet me. I grabbed her ass to hold her captive. I was determined to have her come on my lips, and it only took a few more deep thrusts before I was rewarded. I looked up to see her bury her head in a pillow to muffle the scream as she released into my mouth.

As she relaxed, I ran my tongue along her folds once more, and she shuddered. I kissed my way back up her body, and as I reached her neck, she murmured, "I had the strangest dream. I dreamed that you were forced to shift into the Cullen's world." She pulled my head back to look at me, and as soon as our eyes met, I knew the charade was over. Her scream reverberated throughout the house.

I sat bolt upright. I was covered in sweat and another sticky substance between my thighs. _Oh God! I was dreaming. Wait! Was I? Where am I? What does a dream feel like? I can't remember. _I wiped off my legs with the sheet and leapt out of bed. I grabbed the pajama bottoms that Bella had left for me and stepped into the hall. All was quiet. I looked at Rob's watch, which was still on my wrist. _Great, it's only 4:30. I am not going back to sleep and dreaming again. _

I was used to being wide awake while the rest of the world slept, so I crept downstairs and wandered around the mansion. Each room was more exquisite than the next. _Alice will be thrilled that I saw this place first hand. _I meandered my way into the library and stopped when I saw the Fazioli grand piano. The instrument was exquisite. I ran my fingers along the antique polished lid as I slid onto the seat. I automatically began to play Bella's song.

**BPOV**

I heard the melody of my song as if it were floating on a gentle breeze, drifting into my dream from far away. The music filled me until I didn't know where it started and I stopped. I opened my eyes. _ Is Rob back?_

I leapt out of bed, grabbed a robe, slipped it on and secured it around my waist as I raced for the stairway. I ran into the library and stopped as I watched my husband's perfect fingers glide over the keyboard, playing the song he wrote for me. My heart sank as I recognized the anguished style that Edward attributed to Bella's song. In Edward's world, he wrote this song for the human Bella he thought he could never possess. In my world, this song was one of pure joy as Rob expressed his love for me through music.

I walked toward the piano. When Edward saw me, he stopped.

"Good morning, Edward."

"How did you know it was me?" He asked.

In response, I sat next to him on the bench and said, "Listen."

I played "Bella's Song," the way Rob played it, infused with passion and love.

When I stopped, Edward nodded and said, "When I wrote that song, I was filled with anguish. I thought I could never possess my Bella and that my presence in her life would destroy her. I was torn because I desperately loved her, yet I knew I couldn't have her."

"And that comes through in your music. There's hopelessness to your version. Rob was falling in love with me when he wrote his version. His song is one filled with hope for the future."

"It's amazing how the same notes can sound completely different," Edward said.

"That's pretty much true of everything in life, isn't it?" I asked him.

He raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to elaborate.

"Our experience of life depends on how we play the notes, or the game or whether we view the glass as half full or half empty."

He looked thoughtful for a moment and then nodded and began to play a sonata that I recognized as one Mozart intended as a duet. I joined in, and our four hands blended into perfect harmony. It was soothing to lose myself in the music and, for at least as long as this song lasted, forget that I was a trained assassin sitting next to a vampire, and my husband was suspended in an alternate reality. As I pictured Rob's stricken face just before his consciousness shifted, a tsunami of pain washed over me. The stress of the past 24 hours on top of all the memories that had returned and completely shattered my beliefs about who I was came rushing over me. I slammed my hands on the keys as my body shook with grief.

I felt Edward's hand gently brush my shoulder, and I turned and sobbed against the chest where I normally rested my head each night. Familiar arms circled me, and I let myself be comforted by their warmth.

After several minutes, I place my hand on Edward's now soaked T-shirt and said, "I'm sorry."

"It's OK," he said with a smile. "It's Rob's shirt anyway."

I smiled, and then started to cry again.

"I'm not very good at this," Edward sighed. "I managed to say exactly the wrong thing."

I shook my head and squeaked out between sobs, "Just…hold…me."

He did as I asked, and I cried myself to sleep in his arms. When I awoke, I was lying on the couch with a blanket covering me. The sun was emerging through the shutter's gaps. Through my swollen and sticky eyelids, I saw Edward slouched in an armchair across the room, gently snoring. As I stared at him, his body, or, I should say, _Rob's _body jumped as a "power surge" jolted him awake. He slowly opened his eyes and met mine.

I smiled and said, "You snore."

"I do not!" He replied indignantly.

I laughed. "It's not even your body. Why are you defensive?"

"Because vampires don't even sleep, so we certainly do not snore," he said with a smile.

I slowly sat up and immediately lay back down. "Oh, my head is killing me. Crying like that always gives me a migraine. Would you please grab the Excedrin from the medicine cabinet in my bathroom?"

Edward moved to my side and knelt next to the couch. "I've learned a few tricks over the years. May I try acupressure on you?"

I looked at him skeptically.

"It works. Just give me five minutes. Your liver will thank me later. Those migraine drugs are tough on it."

I nodded, and he moved to the end of the couch where my head rested. He placed his fingers at the base of my skull and very gently, almost imperceptibly, rocked my head. As he did so, he told me to breathe deeply. Within a few minutes, I felt the pain lessen and my body relaxed. I started to drift off again, and Edward whispered,

"Don't go back to sleep. We need to get you hydrated and fed."

I slowly opened my eyes and smiled. "It worked." I sat up, and massaged the back of my neck. "I wish you could teach Rob how to do that," I said smiling.

"I'll write it down for him," he replied smiling. "Stay there; I'll go get you some water and breakfast."

"And coffee, please," I called after him.

"On it," he called back.

The phone rang, and I glanced at the caller ID and read, "Stephenie."

"Shit," I thought. I forgot that Stephenie was visiting London this weekend. I grabbed the phone and mustered a polite, "Good Morning," and was about to tell her this weekend wouldn't be a good time for a visit, when it occurred to me that this may be her only chance to meet the vampire who changed her life.

After we exchanged pleasantries, I said to her, "Steph, you'll never guess who is cooking me breakfast at the moment."

"If it isn't your husband, I'm not sure I want to know," she said with a laugh.

"Oh you definitely want to know," I replied. "If you could meet anyone, who would you choose to meet?" I asked her.

"Hmm, do you mean anyone who is alive today, or can it be someone from history?"

She was being dense. "Steph, if you could meet any _vampire_, who would you want to meet?"

There was silence for a moment followed by a whispered, "No…he's not…"

"Yes, he is. He's in my kitchen, cooking breakfast now," I said with delight.

"How? What happened? Is Alice with him? Where's Rob? Is everything OK?" Her excitement mounted as her words tumbled forth.

"It's a really long story, but I can't let either of you miss the chance to meet each other. Gosh, you're the equivalent of God for the Cullens!" I laughed.

"No, please don't say that. It sounds blasphemous. We don't know exactly how they came into existence. But you're right. I have to meet him. Can I come over now? Oh, no, of course not, it's only 7:00," she stammered.

"Stephenie, you've seen me in my PJs before. Come on over."

"You don't have to tell me twice. I'll be there in a half hour."

When I told Edward who was on her way over, he seemed equally intrigued to meet the woman who may be his "creator."

Twenty-nine minutes after I'd hung up with her, security announced the arrival of, "Ms. Meyer." Edward followed me to the door. Stephenie's warm smile greeted me when I opened it, but her eyes immediately flew past me to the vampire in my shadow.

"You weren't kidding. I thought maybe you were joking, but I can tell, it's not…it's really…" Her voice trailed off as the shock of meeting the character she had apparently dreamed into reality hit her full force.

Edward stepped forward, apparently far less impressed by meeting "god," than Stephenie was by meeting the vampire many women considered to be a god. "It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Meyer," he said, taking her hand.

Stephenie continued to stare, mouth open, unable to utter a single word.

"Steph?" I asked.

I was met with silence.

"Stephenie?" I said with concern, as I snapped my fingers in front of her eyes.

"Oh, I'm so…sorry…I just…it's that I never…," she stammered.

"Hi Aunt Stephenie!" Kate squealed as she hurdled into Stephenie's arms.

Kate's joyous intrusion broke Steph's trance, and she laughed and hugged Kate in return.

"Well hello Princess Katie!" Stephenie gushed as she kissed her cheek.

I steered the three of them into the kitchen and started breakfast. I enlisted Kate's help so Edward and Stephenie could have a chance to get to know one another without interruption. Once I'd put two omelet filled plates and two mugs of steaming coffee in front of them, I lured Kate upstairs with the promise of a "Dora the Explorer" video if she got herself dressed while I got Jordan, my Stephenie and David ready.

A half hour later, I heard my Mom and Dad's voices as they ascended the stairs. They swept into the nursery, and Dad announced, "Guess what?"

Kate and Jordan yelled, "What?" as Stephenie and David giggled.

We are taking a trip to Uncle Richard's island, and Kate, your best friend, Paige and her Mummy, Daddy and sister, Madison are coming too.

Mayhem ensued as the kids jumped and screamed with delight.

Kate leapt into my lap and said, "Mommy, you need to pack my Barbies! And make sure you bring your pink suitcase because it matches my suitcase!"

Before I could reply, my Dad swept Kate into his arms and said, "Oh no! You are all mine on this trip! I'm not sharing you with your Mum and Dad. I want you all to myself."

I held my breath as I watched the crease form in Kate's brow. I fully expected a nuclear meltdown right here on my nursery floor. The crease deepened, and Kate put her hands on my father's cheeks and looked seriously into his eyes.

"Grandpa, you are not being very good about sharing."

My father, mother and I burst into relieved laughter.

"No, sweetheart, I'm not. But when you're as old as me, sometimes you get to be a little selfish when it comes to your grand-children," my father replied.

The next hour went by in a blur and while Dad kept the kids entertained, my mother and I became whirling dervishes and managed to ensure that each child's necessities and most treasured toys, blankies and pacies were safely packed. On my final sweep through the nursery, I paused, knelt next to my father and put my head on his shoulder.

"Thank you," I whispered. "I don't know how you pulled it off so quickly or how you managed to talk Alyson and Stu into dropping everything and going with you, but…" I couldn't finish the sentence because I didn't want to start crying in front of the kids.

Dad wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. "Anytime, little girl."

As we bustled everyone into the car, Edward followed us outside, and assuming his British accent and his role as my children's father, kissed each child on the forehead and told them to have fun. As soon as the car was out of site, Edward took my hand and started back into the house.

"I think you will want to hear the intriguing idea that Stephenie has," he said.

Stephenie, who had been standing in the doorway, observing the mayhem, replied, "Oh, Edward, don't be silly, it was your idea."

"What idea?" I asked.

"Stephenie is going to write a new book," Edward replied.

"Oh, well that's great," I said, somewhat unenthusiastically, since my thoughts were consumed by how I was going to rescue my husband and save a major metropolitan city.

"Not just any book," Edward tried again. "We think we may have a way to stop Aro."


	21. Chapter 21 Shadow and Light

**Chapter 21**

**Shadow and Light **

**BPOV**

The following morning, while I waited for Stephenie and Edward's joint interview to air on _This Morning Live,_ I scanned the book excerpt that they posted to her web site a few hours ago.

_God, I hope this works,_ I thought. Part of me believed this was too simple and that Stephenie couldn't control Aro's actions simply by publishing a book excerpt on her web site. Yet another part of me, the part that had shifted to the Cullen's world and knew that an alternate reality did actually exist, prayed that Stephanie's imagination and the creative energy of her millions of fans did in fact create that reality.

"Welcome back," Vanessa Feltz's voice chimed from the television. "A dream turned novel by author Stephenie Meyer created the world-wide phenomenon known as the Twilight series. Ms. Meyer's books have sold over 120 million copies and each movie in the series broke box office records. With us this morning to discuss her latest book, 'Shadow and Light,' are author Stephenie Meyer and star of the block buster series, Robert Pattinson."

After a few of the standard questions that Steph and Rob have each answered thousands of times, Vanessa said, "I understand that you have a special treat for our audience this morning. Rob, you're going to read an excerpt from Stephenie's new book?"

"I am," Edward replied with his Rob accent. "I obviously have become Stephenie's biggest fan, so I asked her to let me be part of this new book announcement."

Edward picked up the folder containing the excerpt and began.

_**Aro's Point of View**_

_After the misunderstanding concerning Carlisle's grand-daughter, Renesmee, I decided to ensure that the Cullen's knew I harbored no ill will toward them. So rather than return to Volterra immediately after the unfortunate encounter with our vampire friends and the werewolves, I toured the Alaskan country side to give the Cullens' visitors time to depart and time for their lives to return to a routine. If my lungs were still able to fill with air, I would describe Alaska as breath-taking. Alas, I can only relate that Alaska is majestic and pristine, even if it is devoid of readily available nourishment. Finding suitable humans on which to feed was troublesome, so after a short time, I returned to the more populated areas near the Cullen's home._

_I did not wish to alarm my dear friends, so I clearly focused my intention on the visit, knowing that Alice's intriguing gift would notify them of my imminent arrival._

_When we arrived, I instructed Demetri and Alec to wait in the car. Carlisle and Edward were waiting in the driveway. Of course the rest of the coven hovered by the window to observe my approach. I noted three werewolves lurking in the forest and registered the low growl as I extended the hand of friendship to Carlisle. _

"_Carlisle, my old and dear friend, I am here to apologize for the misunderstanding regarding your beautiful grand-daughter." In response, the growl emanating from the trees increased in volume and ferocity._

"_It's OK, Jake," Edward called. _

_The growl subsided, and I grasped Edward's hand. In that moment, the trajectory of my existence leapt from the mundane and endless drudgery I faced in my infinite responsibilities as leader of the vampire world. I sensed the fathomless depths of the love that Edward felt for his wife and daughter. Never had I grasped the hand of another immortal and encountered any emotion that approached what he felt for his family. I saw the agony he experienced the first time he made love to his wife. Every cell of his vampire being demanded that he drain her, but his love overrode his animalistic desire. I felt his torture as he watched Bella wither and the determination and shear will he commanded when he saved his daughter and gave his wife immortality. I was flooded with relief when Edward realized that Alice had returned with another half-human and half-vampire being to prove to us that his daughter was not a threat to our existence._

_With shock, I realized that it was not only Edward's relief I experienced, but mine as well. I was so caught up in the depth of his emotion, that I too wanted Renesmee to live and become part of our vampire family._

_I held Edward's hand and stared into his eyes until the werewolf growls brought me back to the present moment._

_I gasped and dropped Edward's hand. Edward looked equally dazed. He read my thoughts and realized the profound impact his experiences had on me. We stared at each other until Carlisle interjected._

"_Edward, what is it?"_

"_I believe that Aro may be comprehending love for the first time in his existence, and the effect has left him stunned," replied Edward._

_I slowly nodded and turned to Carlisle.  
_

"_I never understood your desire to live in peace with the humans and create a family, but now I do. You have my word, Carlisle, that as long as your family follows our laws, your coven is under the protection of the Volturi."_

"_Thank you, Aro," Carlisle replied. "Do you want to come inside?"_

"_No, thank you, Carlisle. I must return to Volterra. Your son has given me much to consider, and I must consult with my brothers." _

_I nodded my farewell and returned to the waiting car._

_**Edward's Point of View**_

_I watched Aro walk to his car and caught an image of him making love to Gianna, his human receptionist in Volterra. I turned to Carlisle._

"_He wants to father a half-human and half-vampire child."_

**BPOV**

After the interview ended, I turned my attention back to the internet and watched with amazement as Edward's reading went viral. It was Tweeted, Liked and shared to millions within minutes. As the internet traffic spiraled and other news organizations leapt into the frenzy, I let my hope surge.

Not long after CNN and USA-Today posted the interview, I heard the roar of Rob's Ferrari notifying me of Edward's return. As I walked to the door to greet him, the security intercom buzzed. I opened the door for Edward as I pressed the intercom.

"Go ahead," I said to the guard.

"Michael Sheen is here to see you, Mrs. Pattinson."

My eyes locked with Edward's.

"That was quick," he said.

"Send him up," I replied to security. "Don't let him touch you," I said to Edward. "We can't allow him to read our minds and find out what we've done."

Edward nodded, and a few minutes later Aro burst through the door and dropped a briefcase at his feet.

"Edward, you've got to help me."

"Help you with what?" Edward asked.

"Wait, before you answer that," I interjected. "Why would Edward, whom you recently kidnapped and forced into this reality and whose daughter, not to mention his entire family, you nearly slaughtered, help you, Aro?"

Aro glared at me and then returned his pleading gaze to Edward.

"It's Gianna. You've got to help her."

"Since when have you taken such an interest in the welfare of humans?" Edward asked.

"She's," Aro paused, struggling to find the words. "She's pregnant with my child."

My eyes locked on Edward's. It took all of my self-control not to leap with joy and high five him. Edward's more than 100 years of practiced self-restraint yielded little more than a slight twitch to his lip.

"What do you want from me?" Edward asked.

"Please, you and Carlisle are the only ones who can help her. You kept Bella alive long enough to deliver your daughter. I'm begging you. Come to Volterra and help me save her and my child."

"That's rather difficult, Aro, since I'm in a different reality than that of Gianna and your baby," replied Edward.

"We'll go back, of course!" Aro replied. "We'll go immediately. Where is the equipment that Alec left here?"

"Hold on," I said as Aro started for the living room. He stopped and shot a wild eyed glare in my direction. "You can't seriously expect Edward and Carlisle to cooperate with you when you are holding an entire city hostage."

"It's all in there," Aro said, pointing to the briefcase.

"What is?" I asked looking in the case's direction.

"The black box, the directions to the bomb's location and directions for dismantling it are all in the briefcase."

I dropped to my knees and popped open the brief case. As soon as I confirmed its contents, I called Dex to fill him in.

After I ended the call with Dex, I looked at Aro and Edward who were still standing expectantly in the hallway.

"Have a seat, gentlemen. You're not going anywhere until that bomb is dismantled."

"But," Aro started to argue.

"Aro, you got us into this, and no one is going to lift a finger to help Gianna until we are sure this nightmare is over."

"I have other conditions for helping you," Edward said.

"Anything," Aro replied.

"You will destroy your equipment that enables you to shift realities. You will never again leave our world, and you will not allow any Volturi to leave our world."

"Done," said Aro. "What else?"

"None of the Volturi, will ever again come near my family, including all members of Carlisle's coven and all members of the wolf-pack."

Aro looked at Edward for a moment as if trying to decide.

"Your word," Edward demanded.

"You have my word," Aro replied.

A few minutes later, Dex arrived with a small army and quickly interrogated Aro. As he grabbed the briefcase and ran for the door, he glanced back and said, "I'll call you as soon as it's disarmed. Don't let him out of your sight."

"Is that an order, because I was going to let him go pick up lunch for us?" I said with a smirk, as Dex glared at me and rolled his eyes.

"Some things never change, smart-ass."

"I love you too, Dex," I called as he jumped into the waiting SUV.

I walked back into the living room and sat down next to Edward. Aro met my gaze from across the room.

"Since we have time, Aro, why don't you tell us how it is that you are about to become a father?"

Edward and Aro looked at me with raised brows.

"What is it?" I asked. Then I realized how my question sounded. "No, I don't mean that I want to hear the details of…"

Edward's smirk turned into a chuckle.

"You know damn well what I mean!" I yelled at Edward. I sighed with exasperation and turned to Aro who was sharing in Edward's warped sense of humor. "What I meant, Aro, is did you fall in love with Gianna?"

"No, I was only using her, well, at least, initially I was. When I went to visit the Cullen's after our unfortunate misunderstanding concerning Renesmee …."

Aro recounted, almost word for word, the story that Edward and Stephenie wrote. I glanced at Edward and caught his amazed look.

"I was determined to experience first-hand what I had experienced through Edward's thoughts. I knew that Gianna wanted immortality and would do anything to get it. I told her what I wanted her to do in exchange for the gift of eternal life. She readily agreed. The first few times that we attempted to, well…"

"Have sex?" I asked. 

"Yes, Isabella, I was attempting to be delicate."

"Aro, I'm the mother of four children. I understand about the birds and the bees."

"Of course you do, my dear. The first attempts were challenging. I didn't have Edward's years of experience in resisting the allure of human blood. To resist a beautiful woman in that state is nearly impossible. I almost killed her the first few times. But eventually, I learned to focus on the feeling I remembered that Edward experienced."

"You mean love, Aro," Edward said.

"Yes, Edward, I never experienced love as a vampire, and I've forgotten what it felt like as a human. When I focused on the memory of your love for Bella and Renesmee, I found that I could resist the monstrous urges to devour Gianna."

I saw Edward nod as if he understood, but found myself shuttering at the idea of Aro devouring his lover.

"Aro, you told me you've been visiting this reality for a year. When did Gianna become pregnant?" I asked.

"We tried for months, and I'd given up hope. I believed that my vampire body was too old to father a child. That's when I decided to come to this world. I needed something new to distract me from the torment of my loveless existence."

"But you did find love, didn't you?" I asked him. "You fell in love with Gianna."

Aro met my eyes and nodded. "I was going to kill her because I couldn't bear to look at her every day and be reminded of my failure. But I could not hurt her. A few weeks ago, my brothers insisted that I return for a council meeting. I couldn't stay away from Gianna, and apparently that is when she became pregnant. She contacted me this morning. She is so happy that it's finally happened, but she is violently ill and terrified. We need you and Carlisle, Edward."

Even after all that this monster had put me through, I felt sorry for him. It was evident that he loved Gianna and his unborn child. If I had not witnessed Aro's earnest and sincere plea for help, I wouldn't have believed it possible that Stephenie and Edward's book, conceived, written and publicized within hours, had transformed the once soul-less Aro into a loving father.

"Once we return," Edward said to Aro, "you must build up a supply of human blood that Gianna can consume." Edward paused. "Get it from a blood bank, Aro. We will not help you slaughter more humans so you can save Gianna and your baby."

Aro reluctantly nodded his agreement.

Edward and Aro spent the next few hours working through the details of the Cullen's participation in Gianna's care. By the time Dex called to say the bomb had been disarmed, both vampires were anxious and ready to depart this reality.

As they stood, I approached Edward and gave him a quick hug. "Good-bye, Edward. I know Gianna and her baby are in the best possible hands."

I turned to Aro. "I hope you've truly changed, Aro."

He slowly nodded and replied, "Yes, Isabella, as do I."

Aro made the necessary electrode connections and programmed Rob's laptop.

"Take a seat, Edward. We don't want Bella's husband to get a concussion as we make the shift."

Both vampires returned to their seats and nodded at me as Aro pressed the final key. I watched their heads droop and their bodies go limp and waited expectantly for my husband's return.

A moment later, both men's bodies stirred and their eyes opened. Rob leapt off the sofa and sprang into my arms.

"Bella, please tell me it's over!"

"It's over, baby. You're home for good."

"How did you fix it?" He asked.

Before I could reply, Michael started to chuckle and continued until he had fallen out of his chair and was shaking with convulsive laughter while lying on the floor.

Rob and I knelt next to him.

"Michael, are you OK?" Rob asked.

Once Michael caught his breath, he said between gasps for air, "I knew all those drugs I did in college would eventually catch up to me. You will not believe the bad trip I just had."

Twenty-four hours later, Rob and I were blissfully covered in sand, owned by one of the world's richest men, my "Uncle" Richard Branson. Dad and Mom had whisked the kids to Richard's island to keep them from harm's way. At the moment, we were building a sand castle with Stephenie and David while Jordan and Kate played by the shore under Mom and Dad's watchful eye.

"Where were you just before you shifted back to our reality?" I asked Rob.

"Carlisle, Bella and I were in Stephen's lab. We were attempting to explain what had happened, but he just smiled and nodded at us. He was sure his ALS had finally consumed his brain, and he was suffering from severe dementia."

"I'll have to let Dex know since they were planning to debrief Dr. Hawking. Maybe they'll just let him continue to think it was a hallucination. They decided to let Charlie, Michael and Simon, the man whose body Kai took over, continue to believe they'd experienced bad drug trips," I replied.

"What about your CIA agent friend, Edward?" Rob asked.

"He's finally found his 'happily-ever-after,'" I replied. "We thought he was dead when he disappeared from the hotel the night Ben was killed, and you shifted. But he called Dex a few hours ago to let him know he's okay. After I left him at the bar with Kai to join Aro, Kai told him Aro's plan.

Apparently, Edward fell in love with Joe's daughter during the time he spent in Columbia. When he heard about the potential London bombing, he went to Joe and told him they had to get his daughter to safety. Joe has his own private island in some undisclosed location."

"It's undisclosed even to MI-6," Rob asked?

"Edward called Dex to resign. So he isn't obligated to disclose the island's location. This last scare was enough to make Joe decide that their disappearance should remain permanent. He's taking my advice and getting out of the drug business so his daughter can have a chance at a normal life."

"Well, that's a relief," Rob said.

"You're relieved that Edward is okay?" I asked. "I thought you were jealous?" I said, with a wink.

"You misunderstood," Rob said with a sly grin. "I'm relieved that there's one less man pining for my wife's affections. Now we just need to find someone for Dex."

"Well, since things didn't work out with Ashley and Chase Crawford, she's single again, and something tells me that Alice is scheming," I said, glancing toward the cabana where Alice and Dex sat sipping drinks with umbrellas in them.

Rob followed my gaze. "Alice did say that Ashley is planning to vacation with us this week."

I smiled as I watched Alice laugh coyly and followed Dex's gaze as it lingered on Ashley's bikini clad body that Alice was currently borrowing.

A few evenings later after the kids were asleep and my parents had assured us they didn't mind babysitting, we headed to the beach. We dropped our suits on the shore and slipped into the warm waves.

"We used to visit this island when I was a kid," I told Rob. "There's a very secluded alcove not far from here," I whispered seductively into my husband's ear.

"Please, lead the way, Mrs. Pattinson," he replied as his lips brushed my neck.

The full moon guided us along the shoreline. As we rounded the bend that I remembered lead to the private alcove, I stopped swimming to get my bearings and find the perfect spot to seduce my husband. I turned to Rob and opened my mouth to speak, and he immediately clamped a hand over it. I thought he might have some kinky game in mind and glanced playfully up at him, and saw a look of extreme embarrassment combined with amusement on his face. I followed his gaze and saw Ashley's naked body, splayed across a rock. Her damp skin and hair glistened in the moonlight. Her head was thrown back in ecstasy, and her lips parted slightly as a moan escaped them. Her legs were spread, and Dex's head was buried between them. He stood chest deep in the water with her legs resting on his shoulders.

As soon as the realization of what I was seeing struck me, I submerged and swam in the opposite direction as far as my lungs would take me. When I surfaced, Rob surfaced next to me.

"Apparently Alice's scheme worked," I giggled.

"I'd say it worked extremely well," Rob laughed. "But there's a major problem," he sighed.

"What is it?" I asked. "I thought you wanted Dex to find someone."

"That's not the problem," he said, pulling me into his arms. "This is." He reached for my hand and placed it on his very hard cock. "I was hard before we got to that alcove. After seeing them going at it, I'm truly inspired, but they took our private spot."

"Not to worry," I replied, as I licked my way along his neck and circled his ear with my tongue. "There are plenty of secluded alcoves on this island." I started to swim away, but Rob pulled me back.

"Who needs an alcove?" He demanded as his lips crushed into mine.

"Not me," I said, as I wrapped my legs around his waist.

I awoke the next morning and reached for Rob. The space next to me was empty. I groggily sat up and smiled as I saw him pacing the deck outside our room with the phone pressed to his ear. He was clearly excited about something based on his animated body language. When he hung up, I slipped on a robe and joined him outside.

"Good morning," I said, wrapping my arms around his waist.

"Good morning, my love," he replied kissing me.

"Who were you talking to this early?" I asked as I stole a sip from his coffee mug.

"That was Joan. She's negotiating my next movie offer."

"Really," I asked. "What's the movie?"

"It's a re-make of 'The Spy Who Loved Me,'" he replied.

Coffee spewed across the deck as I coughed and sputtered.

"Are you alright?" He laughed.

I nodded and reached for a napkin from the coffee tray. "You're joking, right?" I asked.

He smiled and shook his head. "They want me to be the next Bond."

As I hugged him, I said, "Congratulations, baby. You'll be the sexiest Bond, yet. Although I still think they need to make a Bond movie with a female lead," I said, smiling.

"I was just discussing that with Joan," Rob replied.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I agree with you. There needs to be a female Bond. I told Joan to send the script back for a re-write and to set up the story so there is a Mrs. Bond in the next movie."

"A female 007," I said with a grin. "I wonder if the world is ready for that?"

"I guess we'll find out. I find the idea of a female 007 infinitely sexy," he said, pulling me closer.

"And that's all that matters," I said as my lips met his.

**The End**.

_After a long case of writer's block, it feels like a huge sense of accomplishment to bring this story to a close. Thank you for following this series. I wish my ego didn't need reviews, but it does [smile]. I reply to every one since I appreciate them so much. Developing this new and creative part of me has been a joyous ride. Thank you for being part of it and encouraging me along the way. – H._


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